Searching
by Sandfire Kat
Summary: Recovery. Noun. A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. But it is much easier said than done. Recovery isn't a path paved out in front of you. It's an obstacle, it's a challenge. It's a fight and a struggle. It's impossible. Adjective. Not able to occur, exist, or be done. And faced with such a task, Sora begins to realize that he escaped one prison for another.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey! I'm _so_ excited! This is the sequel to Fading! ((Never thought I would say that)) So if you're here _without_ reading Fading, then you'd better book it on back to my profile and check that one out first! This'll probably still be here when you get back ;)

This story takes place _directly_ after Fading. There hasn't been much of a break _at all_ in terms of time.

I'm gonna go back and edit this over tomorrow night. It's pretty late here now and so I'm just posting this for now. If you'd like to wait until tomorrow night to read it (this might have a few typos) you're more than welcome to.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

On the very edge of consciousness, the entire world seemed dyed into a startling white. Crass and harsh, the sharp color was almost painful to look at. The room was small— suffocating and cramped, the walls seemed to bend and cave forward, pressing down on him and making it difficult to breathe properly. Yet from the pressing sensation, there wasn't any kind of escape. There were no windows; the sole exit to the small prison was a small door on the far corner of the room. The color, that biting brightness of white, only seemed to make everything more insufferable— it seemed to exaggerate and highlight just how small the place was. Staying a moment too long in the room was enough to stab deep panic into anyone's chest, and a demanding sense of anxiety to bubble up in the back of one's throat. You were filled with a jittered-filled urge to shoot up and rush out of the confined space, and it was only made a million times worse when you realized that wasn't an option.

He couldn't move— the smallest twitch of a finger was the equivalent to trying to move a building with sheer force. He was prostrate, flush against the ground as he found that he could do nothing but rasp uneven gasps in and out. Apprehension and fear beat at the back of his throat, practically begging to be let out in the form of a sharp scream. But it was all he could do to hold back the shouts, leaving them to pound against the barrier of his clenched teeth. He was restless— pent-up energy seemed to course through every inch of him in an uncomfortable sear, yet he knew that attempting to move was a fruitless venture.

At first, that was all that existed. His inability to move despite his desire to, along with that harsh, oppressive color of white that caused his chest to constrict in on itself tightly. But then he became aware of something else; he could hear voices, slowly coming into focus as if they were static on a radio. A cold chill gripped the boy, and he immediately began to flounder; he had to get away, he had to leave _now_ , he had to _leave_! But he couldn't. Heaving, he could only remain still as the voices came closer, sets of footsteps approaching him in a slow gait, as if in a funeral march. Panic rushed over him like waves on the beach, and it only grew as the footsteps suddenly stopped over him.

A pressure forced itself on the boy's left shoulder, and before he could react in the slightest, he found himself suddenly being wrenched to the side, forced onto his back rather than his stomach. The boy blinked rapidly— his sight was a little wavering, he couldn't seem to make very much sense of what was in front of him. Yet this only caused yet another wave of panic to clog in the back of his throat. He tried to move yet again, but yet again he came up with nothing, as if he was paralyzed. He could only lie still and watch as a muddled sense of clarity began to settle over him. There were people crouching over him; at first he couldn't tell who it was, but as muffled voices reached his ears, he knew that he could not mistake their identities.

The voices were just as hazy as the faces that peered down at him. His mind was scrambled, and he wished nothing more than to be able to make clear sense of it all, and to be able to move out of the way. He needed to get out of the way. He _needed_ to. "…think that you're…but…" The person's voice, however recognizable, faded in and out of focus. He turned his head, feeling a harrowing cleave in the pit of his stomach as he could make out the black blur of hair, the glint of harsh blue eyes. Xaldin smirked, seeming to find amusement at his blatantly-apparent debility. And again, the Nobody's voice echoed over him as if he was underwater. "Look at you…pathetic…" He looked up, over at the other man that had walked in with him. "Luxor…hold…"

He felt more pressure push down on him, and though his mind was dragging and sluggish, the boy realized with a lash of shock that he was being forced down even further to the ground, in such a way that kept him permanently rooted to the spot. He was forced to be frozen and still, his chest heaving unevenly up and down as he struggled not to succumb into hyperventilation. Though he knew that such an effort would be put to waste. He blinked rapidly, clearing his eyesight slowly as he craned his neck awkwardly, looking down as he felt a force tug his arm out to the side.

His mind was going a million miles an hour by now— he was thinking of every possible thing that could happen and everything in between. Fear raced up and down his spine, yet he remained still. He tried to open his mouth; he didn't know what he was going to say, or how much it would change his situation whatsoever. But before he could get a syllable out, a sudden surge of excruciating pain inserted itself directly into the center of his hand. He tensed, his joints locking together as his mouth stretched open into a silent screech of agony.

He looked down, his eyes round and hollow with shock as he turned and looked at his hand. It was twitching, his fingers curled inwards slightly as fire burned at his skin. His vision was blurred, but the boy could clearly see what had happened— one of Xaldin's lances had left the man's side and was now buried deep into his palm, not all the way through, but deep enough. He gagged harshly, trying to twist and pull his hand back to himself, but the movement only caused him more harsh pain. He might have let out a piercing scream, but he didn't think so— he couldn't breathe in enough air for that. All he was positive of was the fact that he could hardly concentrate on anything at this point.

He heard a laugh over his head; he couldn't tell where or who it came from. But no sooner had the boy become aware of the chuckle did the lance suddenly twist sharply to the side, wrenching his hand right along with it. This time he was perfectly aware of his scream— it was far too loud to even come close to missing. He screeched and writhed, his hand clenching erratically as he tried to break away. But he was being held down— even as adrenaline pumped through his veins in response to the pain, he was still left rooted. His eyes shut tightly and he let out a harsh sob as the lance was forced down an inch further into his hand. His back arched sharply, and a harsh gasp wrenched itself down his throat.

Xaldin seemed to derive amusement from the sight of his distress. And the boy felt the lance give a harsh jerk once again, the spear nearly turning in a full circle. He let out yet another screech of distress, his forehead creased over in a severe amount of agony as his entire body was reduced to fall prey into a series of tremors and spasms. "Sora!" The boy wasn't even aware of the shout at first, the lance digging farther into his palm as he sobbed and shrieked, his throat already burning from its rapidly-growing misuse. "Sora!" He screeched, the boy suddenly becoming aware of a stinging sensation in his eyes and the feeling of hot tears rushing down his cheeks. " _Sora_!"

The third shout was the loudest, and it was enough to finally jerk the boy awake. With yet another harsh gasp, Sora's eyes snapped open, the boy finding that his heart was ramming unevenly against his ribcage. For a moment, all he could see was darkness, and Sora was rigid, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated in panic. His lungs refused to work properly, and he found that he had fallen into the pattern of hyperventilation quickly. He looked down at his hand, his head moving fast enough to give him whiplash.

It wasn't gushing blood; there wasn't a spear skewered through his skin. It was bandaged tightly; his skin was completely out of sight behind the white gauze. Instead of the hard bite of the ground underneath him, Sora was aware of the much more reassuring embrace of a mattress. There was no more forcing pressure on his shoulders…no more Organization looming over him…no more… Sora was gasping shallowly, and it was almost a full minute before he was aware of anything other than the pure fear and apprehension that was biting on his already-frayed nerves.

"Sora…" The voice, previously gently, was now noticeably softer— much gentler. "Sora, look this way please. C'mon. Over here." As soon as he realized that there was someone else beside him, the teenager immediately jerked, a harsh noise of both pain and terror grating out of his throat as he turned and whipped around to face the speaker. He felt a hand resting on his shoulder, and against himself, the boy's throat shut closed in terror as he wondered desperately whether or not he was in danger. And, slightly paranoid, he was bracing himself for anything.

But when he turned, instead of spasming in panic, he just blanked with slight confusion. Merlin had been sitting closely at Sora's bedside, yet now he was standing, bent over Sora where the boy lie, his blue eyes clouded with not only worry, but of severe pain as well. When the boy finally turned to meet his gaze, silence congested the room thickly. Nobody spoke at first. Sora made a move to say something, yet his mouth could only hang halfway open, the boy left mute. Merlin only seemed even more agonized by the boy's expression, looking down and watching as tears streaked down the sides of his face numbly. "It's alright, my dear boy," he murmured softly, obviously straining to try and reassure him in any way possible. "It's alright. You were having a nightmare; it's okay. You're awake. You're back— you're in Hollow Bastion, Sora; it's okay. You need to breathe, alright? Calm down, you can do it."

Sora blanched, his eyes shutting tightly. He forced himself to listen and make sense of everything that was around him. Right— no, this was…this was right. He was in his bed, which, pandering to his state of inability, had been moved _back_ downstairs. He could hear the fire crackling and flickering in the hearth off to the side. And though he didn't actually move to do it, he knew that if he turned and looked over the actual room itself, he would see the Christmas decorations, which were still up. Merlin was by his side as breathing proof of where he was, and Sora struggled to take confidence in the physical touch that rested, albeit wearily, on his shoulder.

It was a dream. A nightmare. Well…more specifically, it was a memory. Sora had only been awake for a few days now, but he knew well enough by this point that specifics were to be avoided like the plague. He remembered that night with the same vivid-yet-foggy awareness that he had adopted in the last few weeks of being held inside of the Organization's stronghold. Along with every other thing that had happened to him, it lingered in the back of his mind like a cobweb he could not shake off. Bile rose in the back of his throat at the recollection, and he forced himself not to look back down at his hand, for fear of getting worked up all over again.

As he slowly came back to himself and came to terms with what had happened, his confusion and panic was slowly replaced instead with a large amount of embarrassment. He felt like some kind of stupid kid that was getting scared about a monster under their bed. He turned away from Merlin and raised his arm up – his only working one at the moment – to press the heel of his hand against his forehead with a small grimace. His voice was a small mumble, and it was hardly audible. "…I'm sorry." At that moment in time he was sorry for many things at once, but it did well enough to just let the wizard take the apology any way that he wanted.

Merlin blinked, drawing away as he realized that Sora had calmed down, though there was still an obvious spark of concern in the old man's gaze. "Oh no— no, no, my boy. You don't have to apologize." There was a beat of silence, and when it was clear that Sora would not reply, Merlin gave a small cough and glanced down at the ground. He seemed almost as remorseful as Sora was— maybe even more if such a thing was possible. "Would you like something to help you sleep?" There still wasn't a reply, and, noticeably slower now, he pressed: "I could fetch you a glass of water?" Sora kept his eyes shut, his eyes beginning to burn as he gave a small sigh. Merlin sobered, tilting his head to the side. "…Would you like to talk about it, Sora?"

The answer was already clear before Merlin could finish. "No." The reply came out a tiny bit harsher than what was first intended, and immediately Sora was overcome with a wave of guilt. He shook his head and cleared his throat, backtracking in the effort to try and make his reply better. "No, I just— it was stupid, I don't want to…" He hadn't talked about it; he hadn't uttered a single word concerning his stay with the Organization. He had put on a smile and made a point to shrug it off in front of everyone else; but he couldn't control himself as well when he was asleep, apparently. "I don't want to." His voice was slurred and befuddled with sleep— despite the amount of emotion that was crammed into the few words, it was almost too quiet to hear in the dark.

Merlin blinked, looking at the boy closely. "Are you quite certain?"

Sora replied by turning his head away. He couldn't roll over on his side; moving too much like that would only bring pain, and he couldn't roll away from Merlin without laying on his broken arm. The most he could do was turn his head to the right, keeping his eyes closed as he gave a small sigh. His forehead creased over in pain, and his stomach clenched in an uncomfortable way. There was a pause of silence, heavy and constricting where they lingered in the dark. Yet after a moment, Sora felt Merlin reach over and place his hand gently once more on his shoulder.

But no sooner had the touch registered to the young boy did it disappear just as fast. There was a series of footsteps fading away, and Sora realized that Merlin had retreated. The wizard must have realized that, especially at this point, it was better to offer solace rather than even more contact. Sora's eyes cracked open, and he turned his head slightly, looking over just in time to see Merlin start to step outside. The teenager blinked, yet another touch of guilt prodding at him incessantly. Nevertheless, he turned back, just in case Merlin glanced back his way.

His heart was still thudding a little faster than normal, and the scene he had just been forced to witness a second time felt like it was burning in the back of his mind. He looked down at his hand, the boy's heart tearing slightly as he remembered how long it had lasted. How, when Xaldin had finally wrenched back his lance to himself, he hadn't had time to scream anymore before a sudden warmth spread over his mangled hand. He had been so shocked. He hadn't known what to do, or what the odd change had meant. He didn't know what it meant until it had started all over again.

Four potions had passed before Xaldin had grown bored. Four potions had passed before Sora was left alone inside of that stupid room again. His hand was drilled through, offered a meager helping of healing salve, and then drilled all over again, four times over. There wasn't a reason for it. It was just…it was just to…

Sora looked away again and shut his eyes. He locked his jaw backwards and struggled to tear his mind away from the dark corner it had been flung back into. Instead he tried to clear his mind and even out his breathing— slow it down into a much more rhythmed sigh in and out. He tried to go back to sleep. But in the back of his mind – the same place that everything else seemed to be coming from – he knew that such an effort would be nothing other than wasted.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It was snowing outside— again. It had started snowing nearly every day now at some point, and outside snow was quickly building up in drifts and stacks. It was freezing; you could throw a pot of boiling water outside and it would evaporate into mist and fog before it could even hit the ground. The fire was roaring in the hearth— Merlin was making an extra effort to make sure that it didn't weaken in the slightest. If even an ember sparked out of life, you were sure that the old man would scurry forward to correct the wrong. Everyone was decked out in thick sweaters and jackets, and some were wrapped up like burritos inside blankets. Once again, there had been talk of taking down the decorations sometime today. But it was pretty much agreed that they were probably going to stay up until New Year's.

Sora was sitting down on the floor, having eased himself down to the floor with the utmost care. Aerith had given him a baggy sweater to wear, and after working for a good – painful – three minutes, he had managed to finally wriggle into it. Over his baggy shirt a dense blanket rested over his shoulders. Though he couldn't move his right arm, he held it together with his left. There was a steaming cup of tea seated beside him, but he hadn't touched it since it was put there; he couldn't even tell who had put it there in the first place.

His injured leg – his left one – was left to splay out a little awkwardly to try and alleviate pain or stiffness from it. His better one was folded in in a halfway-crossed fashion. The boy wasn't paying any attention to anything; dark bags were weighing down underneath his eyes, and his mind was so exhausted that he was mostly left just staring dully off into space. He wasn't focusing on anything in particular; he was too worn-out to try. And, if he was being completely honest, he was almost too scared to let his mind wander too far away from him.

Ever since he had been jarred awake, he had been unable to fall back asleep and rest more. He was left with little to no energy. And in the back of his throat, the boy couldn't help but struggle to stifle down the lingering trace of jitters and fear that stung there from his nightmare. Despite his attempts to forget it, he couldn't manage the feat— his skin was _still_ crawling. Frankly, he was almost happy that he was too tired to concentrate properly.

"Sora?" At first he didn't hear his own name being called. He was staring off towards the window on the far end of the wall, watching the snowflakes stream past the glass with a blank expression. But the next attempt at getting his attention was more successful, as the speaker's voice raised slightly. "Sora!" Immediately he jerked around, blinking as he jumped slightly. And as soon as he moved so sharply, the teenager hissed, closing his eyes and ducking his head as he gritted his teeth. Upon reaction to the sense of pain, Aerith straightened, looking concerned as her eyes widened. "Oh, Sora, I'm— I didn't mean to…" She seemed at a loss of what to say.

The few of them were all seated on the floor, clustered together around the game board that was in front of each of them. But it was clear that everyone who had been previously taking part in the game was now completely off of its topic, having looked up instead to stare with mirrored looks of apprehension Sora's way. Gradually, and with a deep wince, the teenager forced himself to straighten, despite the pain that wrapped tightly around his stomach with the correction. "No, no, it's—" He broke off and grimaced, shuffling a little bit and shaking his head. "It's fine, I was just—" His voice dropped into a low mumble. "I was just…spacing, I guess."

Aerith looked unsure, but she offered him a smile nonetheless. "It's your turn."

At first he was confused. "My…my what?" It took a moment to realize what she meant, and quickly the boy looked down at the board with a series of rapid blinks. "Oh, right— the game. Sorry." He had no idea what was happening; he had stopped paying attention. The other three had made progress it looked like; they were all in different parts of the board than the last time that Sora had looked. That, or Sora just wasn't paying attention to begin with, apparently. He scanned the board wildly for his piece, and when he found it he blinked, tilting his head to the side.

Glancing up at the others and realizing with a stab of panic that they were still staring at him intently, he cleared his throat. "I'll uh— I'll take a guess, then?" Aerith blinked, her forehead creasing a little bit. But she didn't say anything to discourage him. "Uhm…" Hurriedly, he looked over the board and at the cards that were in front of him. "I say that it was…that it had to be…Colonel Mustard…in the— in the kitchen with the gun." The last few words dropped back into a mumble.

Aerith blinked, looking confused as she looked down at the game board.

Yuffie was sitting close beside the brunette, and she looked just as befuddled as she did as she too looked down. Her mouth hung a little halfway open, as if she wasn't too sure on what she should say in reply. Upon their reactions, it was clear that Sora had done something wrong, and the brunet was immediately grasping for what it could be.

He looked across the board, a look of stress slowly crawling over his face. He was in the kitchen— there was nothing wrong there, he could still guess that. The gun wasn't in his cards, he was pretty sure. Was Colonel Mustard in his cards? He couldn't remember; he had just glanced over them to begin with. He hadn't even wanted to play this game in particular, but it was between this and Candyland. And he sure wasn't inclined to get all the way to the top of the board just to be sent back to the start whenever he drew the 'Mr. Mint' card.

"Sora?" He was roused by another voice, and he turned to look over to the left, already grimacing a little bit. The voice sounded worried, and its owner was even more so. Kairi's eyebrows were knitted together, and when Sora looked over at her with a more reserved expression, the redhead tilted her head to the side. "Sora…are you okay?" Her voice was weighted down in concern with the question, and Sora was really beginning to wonder whether or not Candyland would have been a better choice. At least in Candyland you had straightforward directions. With this, apparently he was wildly off-base.

"What?" Sora looked from the board to the girl, puzzled. "I-I just guessed…"

"Yeah, I know," Kairi said, still seeming anxious. "You gave that same exact guess your last turn."

"It was wrong then, and – I mean, I don't claim to be an expert on the rules – but, I'm pretty sure that it's still wrong now," Yuffie coined.

Sora shut his mouth with a snap, looking back down, though he still looked a little lost. He'd…he'd already guessed it…? Kairi seemed even more bothered by his puzzlement. She leaned forward slightly, her blue eyes a little clouded. "Are you okay, Sora?" When he didn't reply, too busy staring down at the game, she hedged on slowly. "Sora…if you don't want to play this, we don't have to. You know? If you want to do something else…then that's completely fine."

The teenager didn't reply at first. He cleared his throat after a moment, closing his eyes briefly and cursing himself. "I'm sorry, I just…I just haven't been…" He pursed his lips quickly and shook his head again, clearing his throat. "I haven't been able to focus today. It's not a big deal. Don't stop the game on my account. I can be better, don't worry about it."

Yuffie leaned back, trying to shoot the boy a quick grin, yet the expression came out a little wearier than was probably intended. "I think we'd better take a break," she offered helpfully, though it was clear that there was a little bit of hesitation layered over her words. "After all, we've been playing for…" She looked over at the clock on the far side of the wall. And her voice fell a little bit as she added slowly: "…a while. Maybe we can crack it open again a little bit later?" She looked over at Sora, biting down slightly on her lower lip at the sight of the boy.

He thought of turning the offer down a second time. But it was clear by the look that was being shared around the trio in front of him that even if he tried, it probably wouldn't work. He ducked his head, shifting with a small cringe as he tightened the blanket around him, the movement coming across as a little self-conscious. "Yeah, yeah, that's…I guess that's fine. Sure." There was a small pause of hesitation, Sora looking down and focusing on the mug of tea that was placed at his side. Mentally, he berated himself, knowing that he couldn't act like this. Number one, it was wildly rude. But, really, it was more important to keep any kind of concern off of him. They were worried enough as it was. Adding to their anxiety was just mean.

Aerith and Yuffie leaned forward and took up initiative to load the game away. They paused long enough to reveal the killer; apparently it was Mrs. Peacock in the dining room with the candlestick. Gee— he got absolutely nowhere close with his guesses. With _both_ of his guesses— all two of them. Kairi helped them fold all the pieces back in, but when the two girls stood to put the box back where they had it – where _had_ they found that? – she stayed back.

The redhead was still very clearly troubled. And, a small frown weighing down her face, she turned and looked over at Sora with a careful look. "Sora, are you sure you're okay?" The teenager reached down, grabbing hold of the string on the other end of his teabag and pulling up and down on it. But by now, something was seriously wrong if the leaves hadn't already soaked completely through. How long had he had it, like twelve minutes? Kairi didn't seem to pick up on the vibe that he would much rather avoid prying. Rather she just narrowed her eyes slightly. "You look exhausted, Sora." If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that her voice held inside of it a touch of reproach.

Sora turned, shooting her a look through raised eyebrows. He let go of the blanket, trusting it to remain on his shoulders for the moment as he leaned over to poke her gently in the shoulder. He looked down at her sweatshirt, noticing for the first time that day that it had a snowman on it. What else had he failed to notice so far? "And _you_ still look _way_ too filled with Christmas spirit considering Christmas was two days ago," he shot back, his voice light and teasing. He felt a touch of relief as Kairi softened, her worried look melting just slightly as the ghost of a smile twitched on the edges of her lips. Sora shook his head and leaned back, grabbing hold of the blanket again. "But you don't see me making a point on commenting about that."

Kairi shook her head, grinning now. "Hey, Christmas lasts until New Year's Eve; you know the rule." But before Sora could even start to find relief in the response, she had sobered, straightening up and tilting her head to the side. "Seriously, Sora, you really do know that if you need to…" _Don't say it._ "…if you need to talk about anything...I'll always be willing to listen. You know that, right?" She seemed just a touch alarmed as she said this, as if she was wondering what she had done to make him think anything differently.

Sora was torn. He didn't know whether to be frustrated or touched. It seemed like no matter where he turned, that was the question he was faced with. 'Do you want to talk?' 'Do you want to talk about it?' He knew that the question came from a good place; where else could it possibly come from? His friends were worried about him, and it was quite plain not only from the looks on their faces, but in their actions as well. But their concern, instead of making him feel better, only made him feel worse. Just like getting in that stupid wheelchair made him feel worse too.

The teenager turned and looked down at his tea, which had started to cool off by now. Childish as the thought came across…he just wanted things to be normal. He didn't want to be woken up at two in the morning because Merlin was just a little bit too loud when he came down to check on him. He hated looking up from whatever he was doing to catch the fact that at least two people were staring his way, their eyes filled with pity and sorrow. And it made it even worse when they quickly looked away, as if they could hide the fact that they had been gawking. He didn't like all these cushioned tones when people talked to him, and he didn't like the veiled sense of guilt and tension that crackled through the air sometimes like lightning. He didn't like any of this; he just wanted to keep things together and the way they were…before…

After a moment of silence, the smarter part of his brain quickly admonished the thoughts. _Let's try not to be a complete idiot, alright? That might be a good plan._ She was worried— they all were. Why wouldn't they be? _Sora_ was worried…why should he get bitter over people feeling the same way? And, glancing back over at Kairi and seeing his friend so unsettled, he found that he felt a little better. A little clearer, at the very least. She cared enough about him to try and help; he would be an awful person to throw it right back into her face. Giving out a small sigh instead, the teenager softened, offering the girl a small smile. "Yeah," he said, giving a small nod. "Yeah, no, I know. Of course."

Kairi waited a heartbeat, watching him almost expectantly. She was probably waiting to see whether or not he could actually weigh in on her offer. But when Sora only stared back at her just a levelly, she cleared her throat, speaking a little reluctantly. "You're sure you're alright, then?"

Sora nodded. "Completely. Why wouldn't I be?" Moving on before Kairi could try and pry any further – and he had the idea that she might – Sora started to reach out for his cup so that he could nudge it closer to her. "Do you want this?" he asked. "Aerith gave it to me before we started playing, and my stomach is kinda—" He broke off abruptly, his mouth snapping shut along with his eyes. He flinched deeply, the slight movement of reaching for his cup causing his side to split with a lash of pain. The boy jerked his arm back to himself quickly, whining in the back of his throat as his forehead creased over. He ducked his head down so that his chin was touching the top of his chest, the brunet being forced to wait until the agony ebbed itself away.

Kairi was alert at once, leaning over as her hand rested softly against his shoulder. "Sora?" Her voice was taut with panic, and no doubt it garnered the attention of everyone in close proximity— which was the entire house. But if the redhead noticed she gave no heed, she just looked at Sora in concern, waiting for him to right himself. And when he did, his eyes raw with pain, the teenager blew out a shaking sigh, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, as if to try and clear it. Yet Kairi wasn't all that assured with the reaction. "Sora, are you okay? What happened?"

He blinked rapidly to clear the dots away from his eyesight. His head was pulsating, yet the boy was rather skilled in trying to look past such a sensation. "It's fine. I just—" He held back a sigh of frustration and looked down at the mug with something akin to disdain. "I just was trying to scoot that over to you." The words ended in a harsh mumble. He felt like a knife was stabbed up in between two of his ribs, and it made breathing a little harder than it normally was. Trying to look past the burst of pain, and he cleared his throat, trying to hide a flinch a little unsuccessfully. "You can have it if you—"

Kairi was already shaking her head, looking saddened. "No, no, that's…that's fine." She frowned, looking at him a little closer. "Your stomach hurts?" Sora opened his mouth to reply, but the girl was already going on again, looking back and glancing over the room with a worried expression. "Do you want some medicine? I know Merlin already gave you some, but if it isn't working, then I can get you more." When the boy didn't reply, she looked back, her blue eyes pained. "Sora, you really should try and have some of it. You haven't eaten much at all since you woke up."

Sora held back a small sigh. He turned and looked down at the ground to where the board game had been only a moment or two before. "I'm not hungry."

"It's been four days, Sora." The objection was small.

He just nodded, not giving an audible reply.

Kairi hesitated. She stared at him levelly, and through her worry-clad look, she started to try and say something more, as if to press on. But thankfully before she could get a single syllable out, the door opened behind her. It cut her off before she could even start, and Sora turned, feeling the smallest sense of relief at the distraction. Yet what started out as the smallest hint of a smile on his face only grew and widened at the sight of everyone who filed in. Goofy and Donald were first inside like they normally were when they left. They dashed inside, their eyes already combing the house before landing on where Sora was hunched on the ground, wrapped up in a blanket.

"Sora!" Goofy chirped, a smile immediately slapping itself over his face. He bounded over to the boy, obviously overjoyed just at the mere sight of the teenager, however harrowed the boy was at the moment. "You're up now!" He skidded to a stop and stooped down, leaning over and wrapping his arms around the boy without hesitation.

Kairi stiffened noticeably, starting to reach out as if to try and get him to stop. But Goofy was smarter than he seemed— his hold on Sora, though bracing, was more than gentle enough. It was loose, so he wouldn't hurt the boy or jar his injuries. And though Sora was grateful – he certainly would like to avoid pain if it was possible – it also brought a sense of sorrow to touch over his expression.

He remembered all the other times that he had spent with Goofy and Donald. He remembered how, when they had finished off Shan Yu and saved China, Goofy and Donald had immediately crashed into him, wrapping their arms around them so tightly that he couldn't even breathe through his laughter. Or when they had first tried out practicing dancing through music in Atlantica and Goofy had tripped over himself, spinning out of a haywire flip and careening straight into Sora and Donald, who had been bickering about tempo. At first he had been frustrated – Donald hadn't been helping in the slightest – and he had tried to be irritated. But the effort was wasted; they had all started cracking up in less than three seconds despite the fall.

This wasn't like any of those times. It was way too gentle and way too…well, it was way too different. It was like he was made out of glass now, and even Goofy, who was so clumsy and aloof nearly all the time, was taking care of tiptoeing around the boy. It wasn't like it had been. Despite the thoughts, and despite the fact that Sora's throat closed slightly on him, the boy grinned, looking up as Goofy drew backwards and offering him and Donald a wide beam. "Yeah, sorry about that, I was just…" His excuse slipped his mind, and quickly he righted himself, shaking it off. "How's it look out there?"

Before Goofy could reply, someone else beat him to it. "Just as boring as it's been. No changes whatsoever." Sora turned, his grin lightening noticeably as he turned and looked over to the door, watching as Axel strode his way inside over the threshold. The man had twisted his head to the side, reaching up to brush aside some snow that had dropped onto his shoulder. Sora beamed at the irritated look that was on his face, and the smile only grew when the Nobody turned, shooting him a mocking look at the sight of how amused the young boy seemed to be.

"Aw, no," Sora mumbled, watching as Leon filed in after Axel. The party had left like they did every morning to go and do a once-over of the entire town. It looked like, just like the other days had, they came up without any threats. Unless of course they counted Scrooge and his awful ice cream as a danger. "It really can't be that boring out there, can it?" There was a note of wistfulness in his voice as he asked the question, yet it wasn't as noticeable to the others as it was to him. He would give his leg – it certainly didn't work as well for him as it was – to be able to run outside and breathe in fresh air. The past few days he had just sat around the house, trying to juggle his pain and discomfort while trying to remain outwardly optimistic and social. And that wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Axel gave a huff, rolling his eyes pointedly. "If I have to listen to _one more_ spiel from your pal over there," he gestured over to Goofy, who didn't seem all that bothered by the implication that being sent his way, "then I will explode. And I will take that guy down with me." It was clear that Axel wasn't meaning to be hurtful, and Sora grinned once more as the Nobody flashed him a meaningful look, mouthing out: _Do you even_ know _how long those last?_ Yes, Sora knew. Once, while scouting out the new world of the Pride Lands, Sora had listened to a twenty-minute long story about how one time Goofy had made a mistake and locked Mickey out of the castle and let a Heartless in on accident. Entertaining? Sure. Long? Even more so.

Leon grinned at their exchange, yet his eyes softened a little bit more as he turned and looked over at Sora. "Hey," he greeted, his voice warm as the boy perked up from his blanket. "How you doin' champ? You feeling any better today?"

He smiled, albeit tiredly. The expression didn't reach his eyes in the slightest, yet he answered brightly nevertheless. "Totally. I _just_ got back from running four entire laps around Hollow Bastion." He grimaced; he couldn't stay still in one posture for long before pain started to wrap around his stomach. The boy shifted and tried to compensate, his forehead creasing as he moved over into a hunched and awkward position, finding that such a pose was the only one that would really keep weight, and therefore pain, off of his midsection. It was a hard thing to accomplish. Clearing his throat and making sure his voice was clear, he added: "But you missed it. And now I'm tired; so don't expect anything else from me."

Leon grinned at the attempt at humor. Sora was about to return the gesture when the last remaining person of the party filed inside. He was always last in, and he was always first out. Sora blinked, his attention flickering away from Leon to the newcomer, and immediately he tried to welcome them the same way he welcomed the others. He grinned up at Riku, though the expression felt somewhat awkward on his face. Riku started, a smile folding over his own face as his eyes fell down to where his friend was on the floor. "Hey, Sora." Kairi turned, brightening at the sight of her other friend. In comparison to Sora, who was on-edge and ill-looking, it seemed much more genuine. "What happened to playing a board game? When we headed out, Yuffie and Aerith mentioned something about Clue."

Kairi started to reply, yet when Sora caught sight of worry creeping back into her eyes, Sora started to speak before she had the chance. "We came to the realization that I couldn't solve a murder if it happened right in front of me two seconds ago. It kind..." He cleared his throat as it his voice gave out on him in the middle of the sentence. He grimaced and doubled back to fix it. "It kind of fizzled out." He looked down at the ground again, studying the floorboards and watched as, after a few seconds, they started to shiver and shake in front of him.

He was exhausted.

The boy looked down, letting go of his blanket and reaching up to rub at his eyes. He felt like keeling over right this second. Yet he knew better than to try and take a nap, especially now when everyone was inside the house. He would much rather stay awake— having a repeat of last night would only be multiplied in terms of embarrassment and shock. So he shook his head back and forth in the attempt to jar himself awake, and Riku looked over at him with a tilt of his head. "Sora, are you tired? You can—"

"I'm fine." The words came across much sharper than Sora first intended. But he was more than irritated by now. How many times had he been asked that question in the past _hour_? He was starting to wonder whether or not he should just go and pretend to sleep; maybe then he would be able to duck out of everyone's focus. But he knew that it probably wouldn't stop even then. He would just be turning a blind eye to it like he was struggling to do at the moment. If it didn't work now, it certainly wouldn't work later. So he took in a small sigh and shook his head again. "I don't want to sleep. I'm perfectly awake."

Riku blinked. At first he seemed a little surprised and unsure of how to reply. Yet he recovered quickly and offered the boy a small grin. "Yeah; of course. Sure." Sora didn't look back over at him this time, staring off to the side with the smallest trace of a frown. Riku seemed awkward; he hesitated briefly, as if wondering whether or not to try and drag out more conversation from him. But Kairi looked over at him and offered a small shake of the head. He closed his mouth and locked his jaw backwards, seeming pained. Nonetheless, he dropped the subject. He turned, doubling back over to Merlin and starting to rely what they had seen around town.

Goofy had watched the interaction between Sora and Riku closely, and his friend's eyebrows pulled together in sharp concern. "Sora?" At first he thought that the brunet was ignoring him. Sora just kept staring off into space, his eyes suddenly distant and far away. And after a few seconds of the boy just looking off and not focusing, Goofy realized he just hadn't heard him in the first place. He leaned a little closer and raised his voice slightly. "Sora?"

Sora tensed and jumped at once. He whipped around, blinking rapidly, as if he was roused from a dream. The movement took his breath away, and he bent over slightly, his good arm going down to clutch around his stomach with a cringe. Goofy pulled backwards as he immediately picked up the sense of fear that swamped through Sora's blue eyes for a panicked moment. Quickly, realizing himself, Sora struggled to shake off the sense of bottled anxiety. But it was too late— it was clear by the look on his face that Goofy had not only picked up on the boy's panic, but he had also garnered his own alarm from it as well. Sora opened his mouth to try and fix his accidental wrong, yet Goofy beat him to it. "Sora, are you alright?" Immediately the boy's grin dissipated, and he pulled backwards slightly, as if stung. Oblivious, Goofy pressed: "Are you okay? You look a little—"

"I'm _fine_! _Okay_!? Can you just _stop_!?" The yell burst out of Sora's mouth before he could even begin to stop it. Goofy blinked, his eyes widening a little bit at the shout. Sora's face creased over in the smallest hint of anger as he looked up at his friend. Yet as realization dawned slowly over him, and as everyone present in the house went silent to turn and look back at the teenager, Sora blinked, slowly coming back to himself. He had lost control of his breathing slightly, and, gasping softly, his eyes rounded out slowly. Guilt swamped forward to replace his panic, and quickly, he shook his head. "Goofy, I didn't…" His face fell and his voice fell even more as it dropped into a small mumble. "I didn't mean to yell, I'm…I'm so sorry…"

Goofy recovered as quickly as he could. He grinned toothily, but Sora was not swayed by the attempt at reassurance. "It's alright, Sora! Don't you worry 'bout it!" The boy's stomach twisted into a knot with the words, and his throat swelled a little bit as he looked away. "I shouldn't have bugged you so much."

Sora shook his head, feeling his lower lip start to tremble and shake. Color rose up to his face and though he tried to stifle it, he couldn't manage the feat. "No, don't try and turn it so that…" He trailed off, sighing underneath his breath. Frustration beat in the back of his throat and it was all he could do not to tip his head back and scream. He could feel everyone's gaze burning through him, and the tension and worry was palpable in the air; if he had a knife, he could quite literally cut through the empty space. He didn't look back up at Goofy, and his voice was a quiet as he mumbled: "I'm sorry."

Goofy started forward, as if to try again. Kairi cleared her throat pointedly, and as the girl turned and looked pointedly over his way, Goofy gave a small nod and started to take a few steps back. Sora didn't turn back when Goofy left, looking down at the mug instead as he reached out to lightly touch the steaming mug in front of him. It was still hot— it warmed his hand upon initial contact. It must have been boiling in the first place to still be so warm; maybe, having hindsight, Aerith had made it so hot to begin with because she knew that Sora would not drink it. Or maybe she knew that at the very least Sora would let it sit for a long while before taking his first sip.

He stared down at the cup, his eyes slightly narrowed as he kept his hand in place, feeling the warm sensation grow into the smallest burn and prickle. It wasn't enough to actually hurt him; yet his gaze was heavy as his palm lingered. His shoulders drooped, and he gave a small sigh, which came out immensely tired. And, feeling self-conscious, he bit down on his lower lip in the effort to keep it still.

Four potions.

It had lasted four potions.

He wished that it could just get out of his head— it was like the memory was wedged somewhere deep and no matter how hard he scrambled at it, it just wouldn't get out. It was in the back of his head like a ghost. He gritted his teeth and wished that he could concentrate on something else; he would really take anything over this at the moment. But his plea only came up disappointed. Choking back his pained exasperation, the teenager remained still, just staring down at his cup and keeping his hand there, slowly growing used to the slight sting that the beverage's heat inflicted on him.

"Hey." Sora blinked, turning as Kairi spoke up. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were even more so as he turned and met her stare. She offered him a small smile. Reaching over, she put her hand gently on his shoulder. "It's okay. Right?" The young girl shook her head. And, glancing back at the others, who were slowly returning to what they had been doing before, she went on in a small whisper, lowering her voice. "Sora, no one blames you if you're upset. So you shouldn't blame yourself either. You know?" She nodded bracingly. "It's okay. It'll all be fine."

He didn't reply; he just stared at her.

Four potions.

Kairi scooted closer, so that there was – at the most – only a few inches of space between them. She leaned over and wrapped her arms very gently around Sora, keeping her hold on the boy as light as she possibly could while still offering a sense of comfort. And she remained there, desperately offering any kind of security that she could. At first Sora didn't move or react. He only blinked and stayed still, trying to find a way to hold himself under her embrace that wouldn't cause him more pain. But eventually he dropped the attempt. He was too tired. He was too exhausted.

Turning to the side and giving a small flinch, Sora ducked his head down and pressed his forehead down into the crook of Kairi's neck, shutting his eyes and giving out a small, slightly wavering sigh. The girl responded by tightening her hold just a little bit, shifting so that he could maybe be a bit more comfortable. He was at a loss of what else to do. He couldn't get up and walk away to clear his head— his mobility was vastly reduced, and he wouldn't be allowed an inch out of the house. He couldn't try to fall back asleep and get some of this exhaustion off of himself— he was afraid of what would be waiting for him when he closed his eyes.

He couldn't…well, he couldn't do anything, really.

The best he could do was lean to the side and try to breathe through the pressure centered around the stab wounds in his stomach, groping for some kind of relief that seemed a bit too out of reach.

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A/N: A review reminded me that I left something out of the intro! **This story will not be _purely_ emotional. ** No; upon further plot-creating, I've decided to scratch that. This story will have just as much, if not more, action as the first one did, so don't worry! But, as you can tell from this chapter, there will be _much_ more emotion than the first one had. This is just an intro, so just sit tight.

I do stand by what I said before though. No matter how excited I am for this story, I am not about to ruin the first one. If this story does not get reviews, I'm pulling the plug. I really don't want to do it, but at the same time I don't want to mess anything up. So please review! Not only for that reason, but also because I sincerely would like to know what you think about the story and what it's shaping up to be. So…yup. Like I said, any questions, feel free to PM me! And…yeah! I hope you like the first chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the small gap in between updates! But I did say that I would go off of reviews, and I've also got band camp now to juggle on top of it :P

I'll edit this sometime tomorrow hopefully— band camp has been prominent in my life, so I apologize for any typos, I barely got this chapter out to begin with :P

By the way, do not misunderstand me; I love the Bachelor. And the Bachelorette— I'm watching them right now actually. So don't think anything else ;)

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Sora's breathing pattern came in the form of an uneven in-and-out gasp. His eyes were bright and raw with pain, and his forehead was creased over in a harsh show of effort. Every step was painful— he felt like the sidewalk was suddenly comprised of small slivers of glass. His arms were shaking with the effort to hold himself up, and his knees threatened to buckle inward, his legs screaming for him to stop. Despite everything, though, the teenager refused to let himself stop or give up. Instead, he fixed his gaze forward to the other side of the path, which seemed suddenly very far away, and forced himself to keep pacing.

Pacing was a very loose way of speaking, though. It was more like he was hobbling…or using baby hops to get where he needed to go. He couldn't put much pressure on his leg at all before he quickly went to the other; at the most he could only support himself with his bad one for a second or maybe too, if he was being generous. He couldn't take in large, sprinting strides like he used to. He could only shuffle an inch or so forward. He was trying to get from the base of Merlin's house across to the brick wall that was out in front. He had been walking for three minutes now, and he was barely halfway.

"Do you want to maybe take a break?" Kairi was anxious, her hands clasped together in front of her as she watched him with a nervous expression. She shifted her weight from foot to foot every so often, and every time that Sora stumbled or tripped or gave out the smallest whine of pain, she jerked forward, as if she was just barely holding herself back from rushing to his side. Sora was using his keyblade as if it was some kind of crutch, leaning severely on his weapon as he staggered and stumbled. It wasn't made to be a crutch, and that was making itself very clear the longer Sora dragged himself on. "You've been trying for a while…" The longer he went, the more exhausted he grew. Sooner or later he would give out on himself entirely.

Sora was too pinched to reply. But thankfully Axel did it for him. The Nobody was standing on the other side of the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching Sora just as closely as Kairi seemed to be, yet his voice was cool and collected as he replied: "Aw, he's fine, Kairi. He's almost there, anyway." Kairi was obviously unsure, giving out a small huff through her nose as she glanced from Axel to Sora. Her features were marked with a sense of strong skepticism. However she kept her mouth closed, not trying to object further.

Merlin was bound to realize that they weren't out just pushing Sora around near the house, though. The old wizard was going to decide to check on them sooner or later; or he would happen to glance over to look out the window and catch sight of Sora trying to walk on his own. Then the ball would drop, everyone else was more than sure. But once most everyone had left – the normal party, excluding Axel, of course, had gone to circle the town, Yuffie and Cid had left to shop for groceries, and Aerith had gone to purchase more medical supplies – and it had been impossible to ignore the pained look that had rested over Sora's face.

When Sora had asked – quietly, to make sure that Merlin couldn't hear where he had gone upstairs – if they could go outside, both Kairi and Axel had been unable to turn him down. So that led to them, eventually, ending up here. Sora was trying to get from one end of the sidewalk to the other, and though it was taking quite a long time, it was clear that he wasn't about to stop. The brunet was as stubborn as he ever was, really. It was one of the few character traits that he had managed to at least somewhat retain through all of this. Axel smiled and added on teasingly: "Besides; it'll be funny when he falls."

This earned an irritable huff from where Sora was hobbling. The teenager's blue eyes flashed, and he turned back slightly to glance over his shoulder. "Shut up," he quipped, shaking his head and looking back front. "I'm gonna get this." There was a sense of dull finality to the words, and Axel's small grin fell away. Sora's face was written over darkly with not only pain, but irritation as well. Kairi was well aware of this as well, her face clouding over with sorrow at the sight of her friend struggling to do this one simple action.

Kairi still seemed dubious. But she forced herself to brighten nevertheless, pasting a smile across her lips as she offered Sora an assured nod. "Of course you can! You're doing really great." She glanced over to his wheelchair, which had been left beside her once he had declared that he wanted to try and walk again. It was only a few feet behind him, and she was poised and ready to push it over to him, or try and catch him if he fell. "Maybe you could ask Merlin to help you get some real crutches though. Of course…you could only use one…but it'd probably work much better than your keyblade."

Using any kind of support was awkward and painful. After all, he could only use his left arm to help him walk, which left him much more uncoordinated than he could be. His right one was still splinted across his chest, completely immobile, so he could only hang onto his keyblade with one hand. His knuckles were white with the hard amount of effort he was putting in, and there was a light sheen of sweat across his forehead. He felt ill, but he just moved one foot in front of the other. He probably should have switched out keyblades before starting this— the one he was using at the moment was too thin on its end. Something flatter would probably be much better by this point.

"No, we can't," Sora mumbled out of the corner of his mouth. His voice was tinged ever so slightly with irritation at the thought. "If Merlin had his way, he would bubble wrap me into a ball and keep me fenced into a corner." He stumbled slightly, cringing as his bad leg twitched and went into a spasm of pain. He stopped for a moment and concentrated on breathing, waiting it out as it gradually ebbed away. And when it did, he took in a deep breath, steeling himself and starting to inch forward once again. "No; if I asked for anything like that the first thing he would do explode. Then he'd come back and blame _me_ for it or something."

Kairi winced slightly. "You know he's just worried about you." She kept her tone gentle, not trying to be accusing or harsh.

Sora didn't reply at first, but after a moment he gave out a noise somewhere in between a laugh and a huff of impatience. "Yeah." His voice was somewhat flat. Though Kairi's face flickered over into a frown, she tried not to overthink the tart sort of reply. "No; believe me, I am well aware of that fact." Kairi blinked and turned back to glance at Axel. The Nobody turned, and when he locked eyes with her, he gave a slow shake of the head. It was as good of a silencer as any as the redhead picked up the silent message. So instead of prying further she gave a small nod and looked down at the ground, glancing up apprehensively every so often to look at Sora with a heavy gaze.

It was clear that the keybearer was started to grow tired, in many more ways than one. Kairi could tell that the longer he stayed inside of Merlin's house, the tenser he got. And, though she felt guilty that some of it was her fault, Kairi knew that all of this extra attention on him was getting under his skin. He didn't sleep well; it was easy to tell by the bags that were underneath his eyes. And he was still just skin and bones. He always refused to eat; whenever Merlin forced to him to try and get something down, it always came out in a choked manner, as if it physically harmed him to put anything in his stomach. He'd refused breakfast again today.

She knew that it just made things worse, but she was really beginning to worry about him.

He was so different…and it was all because of…

The girl stiffened, jerking as she realized that her eyes were stinging. Excess water had rushed forward to burn and prick her, and she quickly went to attention. The girl reached up and scrubbed at her face quickly, feeling the tips of her ears burn red. From where he stood, Axel had caught wind of the girl's sudden change in mood, and he turned just in time to see the young girl wiping her eyes on the back of her hand, her lips pulled back into a taut expression as she grimaced. The Nobody's own eyes flashed. He looked over to where Sora was, but the boy had his back to them; he was too busy trying to keep himself from collapsing to glance over his shoulder.

Axel cleared his throat and pushed himself off the wall. He edged over to the girl, and in a low voice he started to mumble: "Kairi, you…" He sounded solemn, as if he was about to say something of great importance. However, before he could get too far, the man suddenly trailed off. At first Kairi thought that it was something she had done, and she turned, tilting her head to the side. When Axel didn't make a move to try and pick up his speech, only turning and starting to step off to the side, the girl's puzzled expression was replaced by a much more concerned one.

"Axel?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

From where he was, much nearer to the wall now, Sora seemed to pick up on Kairi's concern. He blinked, turning as his expression sharpened into befuddlement. His blue eyes fell onto the two behind him, the boy tensing slightly as he saw the look on Axel's face as the Nobody was looking towards the Bailey. Kairi was looking from Sora to Axel, slowly growing alarmed. Taking up after Kairi, Sora wobbled in the effort of balancing himself. "Axel?" The man didn't reply at first, and Sora's heart began to pick up slightly. It didn't take much to unnerve anymore, and this was certainly starting to do the trick. "Axel, what are you doing? Stop it."

"Do you hear that?" Axel asked, not reacting in the slightest when Kairi turned and threw him a harsh glare. It was clear that he was making Sora nervous. She started forward, opening her mouth and preparing to admonish him audibly since he was still looking up rather than at her. But before she could get a single syllable out from her mouth, she suddenly straightened, jerking oddly as if she had been slapped. She turned and followed the man's gaze, suddenly becoming aware of what had caught Axel's attention in the first place: footsteps. Coming this way.

From the gates near the entrance to the Bailey, Kairi stiffened as Riku suddenly burst into view. The teenager was sprinting— even in the smallest gap of time that Kairi caught sight of him, she could already tell that tension and even a certain degree of panic was prominent in his movements. And as soon as Riku's eyes flashed over the group that was standing in front of Merlin's house, they immediately flew open wide and round in a sense of rigid fright.

But the initial sense of worry was only escalated as he skidded to an uneven stop, Riku jerking backwards as he caught sight of Sora. "Sora!? What are you—!?" He didn't have time to finish, though his voice was enough to get the message across. The other members of the typical search party had apparently lagged behind, and now they scrambled out behind the leader. Donald's feathers were fluffed up every which way, and Goofy was rushing so much that he nearly tripped over himself.

Kairi was fully on-edge now, the girl already skidding backwards. Riku jarred himself over out whatever mental reverie he had fallen into upon seeing the small group and snapped back into motion. He turned and jumped off of the ledge, hitting the ground with a hard thud. Axel started to say something, but before he could, Riku straightened, alarm flaring over his features. "Look out!" Kairi jumped at the shout, her first thought immediately being for Sora. As soon as she turned however, the girl finally understood what had started this new spark of fear.

A shadow pooled itself off to the side, a Heartless clawing its way out of the ground and across the pavement. Kairi let out a yelp of shock, watching as more and more pools of black began to spring up into view. Heartless were beginning to swarm, slowly sparking to attention as their beady eyes drilled over towards the weapon that Sora was currently substituting as a crutch. The boy jerked, stumbling as his eyes immediately flew wide. One of the heartless flew at him, and clumsily, the teenager used his only arm to swing his keyblade weakly at the being, stumbling and letting out a harsh screech as he was forced to hold himself up instead.

"Sora!" Riku's voice was an octave higher than it normally was. By now the party was each following Riku's lead and storming down. Kairi tensed and dashed for Sora as soon as he collapsed. The boy let out a yelp on his collision with the ground, and though he recovered quickly to turn onto his back, Kairi was acutely aware of the fact that his eyes were raw and bitten with agony. He flailed with his less-dominant arm, landing a blow on one advancing Heartless. But to everyone's shock and alarm, there was suddenly a small horde building itself to surround them.

Axel hissed, his arms sweeping forward to conjure up a wave of fire to incinerate the enemies nearest to Sora. The boy grimaced, flinching away from the heat that washed over him in effect. Kairi skidded to a stop and stooped down, reaching out and grabbing Sora's good arm and starting to loop it over her neck to try and get him up. Wincing under the weight, the girl tensed, a sharp squeak coming out from her as she realized that from around the corner even more Heartless were clawing their way across the stone.

Axel pushed another wave of fire through the wall, but only more seemed to come to replace them. "There are too many!" Kairi gasped, absolutely reeling. A wave of relief swamped her as Riku and the others barged forward to stand protectively in between them and the enemies. As the stance was taken up, Axel dropped his arms back down to his sides, doubling back instead to hunch over Sora and take him from Kairi. It was much easier for the taller man to handle the teenager, yet Kairi's touch still lingered worriedly on the boy as he was taken.

Surprisingly, Sora had a hesitance of his own. The boy had been sidetracked before— he was almost transfixed as he had taken to staring almost blankly at the Heartless clambering his way. But as Axel took him from Kairi's grasp, the boy snapped back to attention, alarm and almost a hint of anger flickering over his features. "Stop! What are you doing!? You've got to get rid of those before they spread through the town!" Axel didn't listen in the slightest, ignoring the boy rudely as he only continued to haul the child towards Merlin's house again. He tried to struggle, but there wasn't much room for him to do anything of the sort in his condition. "Axel! Axel, stop! I can—"

Riku whirled around, Donald dashing in to swipe aside a Heartless before it could land a blow on him. "Axel, get Sora inside! Now!" Sora's face creased over in a sense of not only fury but a touch of shame as well. But before he could get anything out – he didn't even know if he would be able to in the first place – Axel was already snapping into motion again. The Heartless had come from seemingly nowhere, yet as it was, the source of the enemies were not the focus at hand at the moment. The numbers were growing rapidly; they just needed to staunch the sudden flow.

That and they needed to protect Sora.

Kairi rushed over to the magician's cottage and opened the door. The others inside were already more than alerted by this point. Yuffie was already at the door, her arm outstretched as if she had been reaching for the knob right at the moment Kairi beat her to it. Her hands were clenched tightly around her throwing stars, her eyes sharp and blazing with concern. Axel had resorted to having his own weapons vanishing so that he could pick Sora up almost bridal-style. It was faster this way, and he could ensure the boy's safety quicker as he broke into a sprint instead.

Yuffie stepped back quickly, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head completely with the sight of how many Heartless were now converging into a square that, shortly before, had been empty. Axel rushed through the gap that was left by her, and Kairi immediately shot in behind. Yuffie turned, her eyes trained on the three as they rushed inside. "What's happening!? What's going on!?" She glanced over her shoulder, looking something barely short of terrified. "Where did all of these come from!?"

"I don't know!" Kairi yelped, her hands shaking slightly as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Though really, her attention was more focused on Sora rather than the hulk of Heartless on the other side of the door. "We were just outside and— and they just appeared out of nowhere! You've got to go out and help them!" Yuffie hesitated for a moment, looking over at Sora with a sense of apprehension. Axel stooped down and let go of him, the boy furious in every single possible light. But at the same time he could not disguise the wave of pain that was still pulsing through him from his fall. When Yuffie did not budge for a second, Kairi just repeated the order. "Go out and help them!"

She jerked, shaking her head to clear it. "Right, right!" She turned, beckoning Merlin with one of her arms. The wizard was reluctant— it was obvious that he was more partial to remaining with Sora in case the teenager needed him.

Aerith came out from the corner, her green eyes holding a sense of gravity to them. "I've got him."

He nodded, relived. The sounds of fighting outside were slowly winning him over regardless, and with another glance at the boy, he turned and rushed outside with Yuffie. The pair dashed into the fray, and once Sora was situated – more or less that he was just positioned so he wouldn't keel over – Axel drew back slightly, his forehead creased. He looked from the boy to the door, his hands working at his sides as if he was nervous. Kairi weaved around the taller man and stooped low to the floor, crouching beside Sora and reaching out to touch his shoulder gently and help him remain upright. "I'll stay with him, Axel, you go and help them!"

"But—" Axel hesitated. His eyes were weighted down as he looked down at the brunet. Sora had looked away, one eye closed in pain as his good arm wrapped around his stomach. It was like he was holding himself together. Sora glanced over and caught the man's stare drilling down into him. But, in contrast to what his normal reaction would be, he only soured, scowling as he turned away with a scowl. The sounds of fighting and yelling were only growing outside. How many Heartless were there? Where had they come from? Why now? Before this very moment it was akin to a ghost town out there and now suddenly it was absolutely crawling with the things.

Eventually Axel ducked his head down into a nod. "You've got him?" Aerith went to Sora's other side, and replied with an assured look. Sora refused to look back up at the redhead, and after a second Axel relented. He turned on his heel and ran out the door, this time making sure that the door was closed shut behind him. This muted some of the noise that had been coming through the doorway previously; but the trio that had been left abandoned inside of the home remained just as on-edge and just as tense.

Kairi's eyes were clouded as her gaze lingered on the door. After a moment she tore away and turned instead to hover anxiously over Sora. His posture was slowly drooping lower and lower— his arm was still wrapped over his stomach and his face was dulling over in pain and irritation. She shifted, a frown weighing her features down as she leaned a little bit closer, making sure that he wouldn't fall over. "Sora? Sora are you okay?" She turned and looked anxiously Aerith's way. "He fell earlier, he was trying to walk and one of the Heartless tried to—"

"I'm fine, Kairi, it's fine," Sora mumbled, grimacing. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't say that if it isn't true!" she snapped. "Aerith, could you get him some more pain medication?"

Aerith stood quickly; she seemed obviously crossed over the idea of Sora walking on his own, yet if she truly did harbor such a repulsion, she did not say it aloud. Instead she got up and went for the medicine, mentally tracking down what kind would be the most helpful. They certainly had enough to choose from. Kairi folded her legs underneath herself, propping herself up a bit more as she looked over Sora. "Are you okay? Did you hit anything bad? Your leg, or your arm, or…?"

Sora didn't look up at her. His eyes were trained on the ground, flickering over every so often to his bad leg, which was left to splay out awkwardly. The way it always did now whenever he sat down. It was the only way that he could sit that wouldn't force excess pain to life. He didn't reply at first, and when he replied, his voice was low and heavy with sadness. "I should be out there." Kairi blinked, starting to open her mouth to reply. But her mind blanked on what she was supposed to say. It wasn't too hard to realize that anything she could say would not suffice.

Sora closed his eyes and winced. He shook his head a little weakly. Silence congested itself in between them, and though Kairi wanted nothing more than for Sora to look up so that she could offer him a small smile, but he kept his head down low at first. Aerith was busy rifling through the shelves to pay attention to what they were doing— that, or she was just making sure that they had a gap for conversation. Kairi glanced down at the ground, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. The sounds of fighting from outside were still going on. Suddenly they seemed too loud.

"It's not…you shouldn't…" She grimaced. "You're hurt, Sora. You're hurt and you just need some time to get better, you know? We know that you could fight off any one of those Heartless— you just can't right now, you know?" She looked back up at him anxiously, her blue eyes almost desperate now. It was almost like she was silently pleading with him to look up at her. "It takes patience and time. I know it's hard but…it'll just get _harder_ if you don't take the time to rest."

Silence again. The sounds of battle were still achingly prominent.

Sora finally took the time to look up at her. Kairi brightened significantly at the change, feeling a touch of relief as well. But it quickly dissipated when she saw just how despondent her friend seemed to be. How hollow his eyes seemed to be and how different he looked from the bubbly boy she used to spend hours on the beach with. Quietly, he asked: "What good am I now?"

She stuttered— too surprised and shocked to answer. And before she could, Aerith had come back, holding a pill bottle in her hand that she had apparently deemed the most worthy of use. She knelt down and with a cheery line of conversation, began to talk to Sora, trying to distract him as she opened the top and spilled out a couple capsules. Sora's gaze lingered with Kairi's own before he turned and looked over at Aerith instead. Kairi saw that he offered the girl a smile— one that didn't reach his eyes. Aerith didn't notice; she seemed more than pleased with Sora's reaction, only delving further into conversation. Sora actually joined in, however half-heartedly.

Kairi wasn't tracking the exchange though; every spoken word went right over her head. She drew away from Sora as if his mere touch burned her. Her eyes went round with her friend's question and the implication it brought with it. She opened her mouth and tried to speak— to just scream at him and knock him upside the head to get that thought out of his mind. But she didn't. She bit down on her lower lip, unsure as she looked down at her hands instead, which rested limply in her lap. She didn't say anything more— she would wait when Aerith wasn't there. When they could be alone.

But the question still rang in her ears.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The others only filed back into the house once they were entirely finished, once they had gotten rid of the wave of Heartless, and once they had ensured that the town was clear. Their faces were drawn with not only exhaustion from the fight, but also concern and worry. Sora had transitioned over to the bed with help from Aerith and Kairi; he was now positioned so that his back was to the wall, propping himself up so that he wouldn't have to exert energy to keep upright.

Kairi was sitting beside him, her legs tucked underneath her neatly. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, and she immediately snapped to attention as the door opened and the others came back in. It wasn't like there was much else to go off of— after Aerith had administered him another dosage of medicine, and after his façade of interest in regards to her conversation had ebbed off, silence had hung itself out thickly in between the trio.

Riku was first to come back in, and Sora was very well aware of the fact that immediately his eyes drilled over to him. He ducked away before he could meet the other's eyes— he had no idea what the other's reaction was in response. No sooner had he done that did Kairi speak up, catching Riku's attention and fishing it over to her instead. "What happened?" Her eyes flickered over the bedraggled group. Axel's hands were on his hips, and his eyes glittered with tiredness. Merlin was stopped over slightly, yet as always, the magician's focus flickered directly to Sora. Again, he tried not to notice this. "Where did all those Heartless come from? I thought we finished Maleficent off— who sent them?"

"We don't know whether or not anyone _sent_ them," Axel sighed in a gusty manner. "Those things are annoying; they might just have sprung up out of nowhere and dashed in, you know?"

"All at once like that?" Kairi asked, sounding dubious. "Are you sure? It doesn't really sound right…"

"Well do you know who could have sent them then?" he asked.

Kairi snapped her jaw closed once more and blinked, a small frown crossing her features as she drew back a little bit. Sora glanced at her but he didn't speak up.

Merlin cleared his throat and all eyes in the room went over to him. The older man seemed resolute, and his voice was even more so when he spoke. "We're worrying ourselves over the 'who' when something like that should not be at the forefront of our minds. We should be thinking instead about the 'what' more, in my opinion. Whoever sent the creatures can be handled with at a later date. Right now we need to realize that the Heartless seemed to come out from nowhere, and they came in a great mass of quantity. They could very well do that again, and until that problem is handled, then we should be worrying more about the town. And those in danger inside of it." Though he tried to keep himself from doing the very thing, his eyes flickered over to Sora as he said this.

Again. The boy struggled not to notice.

Axel was skeptical. He raised his eyebrows, his hands going up to plant on his hips. "Are you sure? If we just focus on the Heartless then they'll never stop coming. We've got to get to the source of it, right? If we find the source and cut it off then we can stop the problem before it…you know, _becomes_ an actual problem. Right?"

Sora looked from one person to the other, his mouth halfway open as if he was trying to say something. But he couldn't get anything out before someone else picked up the conversation. Frustration bordered on the edge of his expression, but he kept controlled regardless, biting down on his lower lip. Yuffie spoke up from where she stood. "I think we should take it step by step— we can't be too careful. And who knows; maybe this is all that will happen. Like…it's a freak thing or something like that, right? But we should look over the town and handle any Heartless that we come across. Then we can go out and start trying to find a source. If there even is one in the first place, I mean."

Cid coined in his own contribution. "She's right. We shouldn't rush into things. But we shouldn't brush it under the rug, either."

"If there _is_ a source, then it shouldn't be too hard to find," Riku reasoned.

"And the sooner it's found, the better," Donald grumbled.

Goofy looked over at Sora and gave a singular, resolute nod.

The boy started to reply, but before he could, Riku beat him to it. The teenager paced forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Then we need to keep up the searches. Increase them, even. And we need to make sure that we've got the numbers to go out and go square with anything that we could meet in the process. We don't want to get caught off-guard anymore, either." He hesitated after a second, blinking as he turned and glanced over at Sora. The boy perked, looking up and tearing his gaze away from the bed's blanket. "And Sora…you probably shouldn't go outside again. Not until we figure out what's going on."

Sora blinked rapidly, caught off-guard. And, against himself, he felt a small swell of anger stir in his chest. _Do you know how stuffy it is in here? How awful it is to stay here in this one room all day long? How annoying? You try staying in here for this long just to do it all over again the next day._ He swallowed back the complaint thickly, trying not to wince from the effort. Instead he sobered and gave a small nod— the only thing that he could manage at the moment.

Riku blinked. The exchange between them, in contrast to what it would have been before, was awkward and tense. Kairi's eyes flickered in between them with a stroke of concern, yet she did not comment. Neither did anybody else in the room, much to everyone's slight relief. They had just gone through fending off the hoard of Heartless— one confrontation a day was enough. Yet Riku's eyes noticeably flashed with a small amount of hurt as she turned back to the other group. "Then it's decided then? We can start tomorrow— it's getting kind of late."

The group nodded immediately— consent was unanimous. What else could they do?

As soon as the reply was given, Merlin was snapping into motion. He scurried over to where Sora was resting, the teenager immediately holding back a sigh as the magician marched his way. "How are you doing, Sora?" he asked, fretting like some kind of mother hen. "You really shouldn't have been outside— you know what I've told you about trying to do too much too soon. My stars, you think you're invincible don't you?"

Sora leaned back, his neck bending as he touched the back of his head to the wall. "Yeah, Merlin, I know. I'm sorry, I just wanted to—"

Merlin turned and looked at Kairi a tad reproachfully. "I would assume that you would know better, my dear," he added, Kairi deflating a little at the chastisement. "Just because Sora thinks that he could try walking by himself, doesn't mean that he _should_. He needs his rest, otherwise he's never going to get any better; do you understand? It's pure logic."

"Yeah, I know," Kairi murmured, grimacing a little bit. "I think he just wanted to get a little fresh air into his lungs. You know…he's been awake for just a few days and ever since he has, he's been inside. It isn't all that easy to just sit around, you know…"

"I know there is difficulty in it, but there's even more difficulty in recovering when you do not rest." Merlin turned and looked meaningfully at Sora. "You might not appreciate it now, but your body needs to relax if it is to be expected to get any better. Now— Aerith tells me that you fell outside? Where was it? We need to make sure that you didn't reopen any wounds."

"It wasn't that bad of a—"

"While we're at it, we might as well change your bandages altogether. We haven't yet and we don't want to run the risk of any more infection."

"Could I just—?"

"Kairi, if you could help me quickly…"

Sora closed his eyes tightly, his forehead creasing as he ducked his head slightly. He gave up trying to speak, deciding that regardless of what he tried, it just wouldn't turn out the way that he wanted. Which, if he was thinking about it, shouldn't be that surprising considering his last…well, few months, really. Maybe the worst part was that he was getting used to it.

He swallowed back whatever objections he was harboring and just took to silence. He watched Merlin hunch over and begin to unwrap the gauze on his leg so that he could reset the splint that was stationed there. The boy bit down on his lower lip and just focused instead on trying not to cry out in pain or let out any surplus noises of discomfort. If he let any of them spill, then the fussing would just start all over again.

Sora stifled a sigh and decided that looking away would be better. Especially since the sight of his own wounds might cause the pain to escalate even more. He turned his head away limply, letting it rest against the wall lamely as he adopted the feat of staring off into space— a talent he was perfecting and slowly getting much better at. In the back of his mind he realized that he could feel several stares boring holes though his skin. Once again, that stupid atmosphere of tension and fear returned to hang over them.

For the umpteenth time, he struggled to ignore it.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Who do you like, Sora?"

…

"Sora?"

…

"Sora!"

"What!? What? What's— what?"

"I asked you who you liked."

Sora blinked rapidly, his mind scrambling as he wondered what they had been talking about beforehand. No wait— they hadn't been talking; they had been…that show! They had been watching the show before he had accidentally zoned out. He turned back to the screen, slightly alarmed after being jarred out of his mental reverie. He gave a small sigh as he realized that even after he had been staring off for – at the very least – five or ten minutes, nothing had real changed. There was still that one guy and those other thirteen-odd women as he 'struggled to find his future wife.' So, more specifically, there was still a girl on the screen that was crying.

"Oh." Sora's forehead creased. All today he had been having a 'marathon' of The Bachelor with Aerith, as per the girl's offer. Well…offer was putting it lightly. When Sora had woken up, despite how early it was, he and Aerith were the only ones left in the house. Everyone else had already left to either scan the town or battle Heartless. So Aerith had asked whether or not he wanted to watch television with her. He had agreed— what else could he do, really? But now he was starting to wish he hadn't. Three whole episodes and instead of enjoying what he was watching, he was probably just losing brain cells.

But quickly he tried to scrounge up a good enough reply. "I like the blonde girl."

Aerith immediately perked, beaming at the thought of Sora actually having fun watching the series with her. It almost made him feel guilty. "Oh! Do you mean Katy? Or maybe you like Brittney? Or Catherine?" She blinked, frowning slightly as she turned and looked over at the television. "There are a lot of blondes…"

Sora was hunched over on the other side of the couch from where Aerith was perched. He was laying down, a little awkward to alleviate pressure off of him. A blanket had been placed over him and it was now tucked tightly underneath his chin. He had to admit, that with his head cushioned onto a pillow, it wasn't all that uncomfortable. He just had to shift every so often— other than that, he was actually kind of content. And thankfully enough, he actually knew one of the names that Aerith listed. Mainly because he had just started to zone out right when they were introducing Kathy onto the show. "Yeah, Kathy. I like her. She's my favorite."

"Really?" Aerith asked, her head tilting to the side as she looked at the show with a kind of scrutiny. "But on the last episode wasn't she the one that had that nervous breakdown and almost make the entire house of girls leave?"

Silence festered for a moment. Before Sora, struggling to maintain a cool front, narrowed his eyes and said defensively: "I like her attitude."

Aerith paused. Then shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess."

The door behind them opened. Aerith immediately got up from her seat and turned, her hands clasping tightly in front of her as her attention was immediately snatched away from the dramatic reality show. Axel was standing on the other side of the threshold, looking slightly alarmed at first. However he significantly relaxed as his gaze, which had been roving over the room, managed to snag itself on Sora, who was still curled up on the other end of the couch. The brunet blinked, perking a little bit as he twisted back to look as well. His face pinched in pain at the small movement, but he tried not to let it show.

"Axel!" Aerith chirped, a smile, albeit nervous, crossing her face.

The redhead grinned. "I see you two are having the time of your lives over here."

Sora forced himself to push up into a sitting position, ignoring the ways that his sides ripped from the effort. "Axel?" The other immediately turned at his name, already armed with a smile as he looked over at Sora, who was barely peering over the back of the couch. "What's going on— where is everyone?" Usually there was only a certain amount of people that went out. Yuffie and Merlin and the others used to stay, but today it seemed like even they had decided to leave. But…why? Was there was a reason?

Aerith looked worriedly over at Sora but managed to collect herself so that she could turn back to Axel. "Did you find any more Heartless? Or are they all gone?"

There was a pause before he replied. It was a slight one nonetheless, but Sora was all that attuned to noticing the fact. "Uh…yeah, yeah we found some. There was a pretty big cluster down by the gully that were starting their way over here, so it was a good thing that we spotted them when we did. They sent me back up here after a while to scan the rest of the place. But I decided to stop off here instead— if there's anything else around, then they'll find it eventually, right?"

Inwardly, Sora bristled. The meaning was as clear as day; it couldn't be more obvious. _I got sent back here to make sure that you two were okay and now I'm going to stay here and watch out for you._ He offered the man a smile. "Oh. Okay. That's probably right." But after a second of hesitation, he backtracked and suddenly had a realization. His eyes flickered around the room, and his features were drawn down into a sharp form of concern. "Wait a second!" Axel stepped in at once and shut the door, seeming surprised. "Where's Kairi!?"

Axel seemed confused at first, Sora's chest constricting slightly with panic at the idea. Where could Kairi be if she wasn't with them? And why would she even be with them in the first place? But then Axel seemed to remember himself, his face clearing as Sora let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Kairi's fine— she went out with us early this morning, actually."

Sora's relief ebbed to be replaced by confusion instead. "But how—?"

Axel apparently wasn't listening. His nose scrunched up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he started walking towards the couch. "Oh, yuck. What are you guys _watching_?" He turned and sat down nearer to Sora, leaning back against the pillows of the couch and looking skeptically at the screen of the television. Right about now the 'bachelor' was in the middle of yet another date. And there was yet another girl crying off to the side. "This stuff is garbage— have you been watching this all day?"

Aerith flared, looking a little offended. "We have some series recorded."

" _Series_!? As in you've got _more than one_?" Axel demanded. "Aerith, don't you realize how much pain Sora's in _already_? Don't make him watch this on top of it." He turned and offered a grin to the boy as he said this. And, Sora, unable to possibly do anything else, immediately smiled in reply. This time it was a genuine one— one that actually reached all the way up to his eyes. Axel's eyes softened and he turned his attention fully away from the TV now. "You okay?" he asked, his voice a tad lower as he asked this.

Sora's smile wavered slightly. He glanced back over to the television. But there still wasn't much to take his mind away from what was happening. "M'fine," he mumbled, barely audible over the soft hum of the reality show. He blinked slowly, a frown pulling his features down. His chest hurt all of a sudden and before he could be dragged down into the pit that he knew he wouldn't be able to crawl out of, he quickly tried to transition. "So…what did you meet out there? What do you think's going to happen?"

Axel stared at him for a few moments, his expression…odd. Awkward, almost. As if he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. Sora blinked, turning and looking at him as his worry spiked. But Axel kept quiet. His green eyes flickered over the brunet as he retained that weird expression. He looked at the boy's right eye, which was still slightly swelled and blackened. He looked at his arm and leg, which were both wrapped tightly with gaze and splinted into place. Underneath the boy's shirt was another wrapping of gauze, which stretched from the top of his waistline all the way up to underneath his arms. And underneath the bandages was a mess of scars and red, irritated skin.

He knew why the injuries were there. He knew who put them there and why and how and when. He knew everything. And he knew that despite all of Sora's efforts to make it seem like the opposite was occurring, his injuries were still an absolute agony to handle. He saw it in the twitch of his eyes or the grimace that marred his face every so often. He could breathe wrong and find himself doubling over in pain. And why was that? What was the reason?

Axel offered him a smile. It was slightly weighted down and sad— he couldn't disguise that part well enough. But he tried to give him some kind of reassurance regardless. Quietly, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It wasn't a good enough reply, and he was perfectly aware of that. But suddenly the thought of talking to Sora squarely, to tell him exactly what was happening out there when he wasn't able to spring to his feet and charge into it, was more heartless than just lying to him. So he lied. "It'll be fine," he assured quickly. "There's nothing to worry about."

Sora blinked slowly, not replying as he just held Axel's stare levelly. There was a small flash in the back of his eyes, and for a heartbeat, Axel wondered whether or not Sora would object to the reply. But after a moment the teenager let it go. He turned and looked away from Axel, sinking back down to lay on the couch as he just reverted back to staring at the screen blankly. Axel felt a twitch of disappointment as Sora turned away. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but he couldn't find anything that would probably suffice.

So he just turned back front too, and tried to forget everything else that was going on. An impossible feat in it of itself.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Hours passed before the group filed back inside. And even when they did come back in, it was clear that they would not stay for long before going back out. The air was thrumming with nervousness and tension the second the door opened. Aerith, Axel, and Sora were now on episode ten, and the drama was still dragging by with the speed of molasses. As soon as the hinges creaked open and signaled that someone was coming inside, all heads snapped back to see what was happening, Sora's a little bit slower than the others', of course.

Riku stepped in first, followed closely by Kairi. Yuffie and Leon were walking closely together behind Cid and Merlin. Which left Goofy and Donald to bring up the rear together, throwing a few glances over their shoulders as they walked. Riku immediately checked to see that Axel had followed orders and come back to look after the two that they had left behind, and a sense of relief came over him as the sight confirmed it. At the moment, Aerith was still perched on the other side of the couch like she had been. But Sora had shuffled over to lean limply against Axel, finding that the position was better as it didn't leave him feeling stiff and sore. Lying down, oddly enough, just made him more uncomfortable after a while. "Hey," Riku greeted, his voice noticeably warm.

Sora looked back at him but didn't reply audibly.

Riku ducked his head and gave a small cough. When he righted himself and looked up again, he gave a small nod. He turned over to Axel. "Axel, in a few minutes we're going to need you to come with us if you can." It was clear by the way that he looked at the two of them that he was fully aware of the fact that Sora was still leaning on the Nobody. It almost just accentuated the fact that the boy wasn't replying to him. In the back of his mind he wondered dismally if Sora had forgotten all the memories they had shared together in this whole mess. And whether or not he could possibly remember. "There's one trouble spot we need to investigate. But I think that's it for now."

Aerith looked torn between being nervous and being assured. "So…you cleared out even more?"

Goofy gave a jerk of a nod. "Yup!"

She looked slightly deflated. "So there were even more, then?"

Donald stomped a heavy foot down on the ground. "And we still haven't found out where they're comin' from!"

Silence followed the admission, but Merlin was quick not to let it stretch on. "But we managed to fend them off today. The town is clear for the moment— we accomplished that much. So we should take pride in it." It was clear by the looks on everyone's faces that such an order wasn't easily followed. But nobody spoke out against him, and the wizard moved on after a pause. "Now, Yuffie, I would appreciate you going out and maybe getting some food together." The ninja looked frustrated for a second, glancing over at Riku, but Merlin beat her to it. "I'm sure they could get by without you, Yuffie."

She blew out her cheeks but gave a small nod.

Sora opened his mouth to say something, hopefully trying to see whether or not there was a way he could coin himself into the conversation, but Riku was speaking before he could. "I say that Leon, Donald, Goofy, Axel, and Kairi, come back with me to check down around the gully one last time. Then we can be done. But until then, we need to keep alert— those Heartless seem the most prominent around the gully, and that isn't too far from the town."

Kairi gave a stoic nod. And surprisingly, she offered an idea of her own. "Tomorrow we should check around inside that castle down there; the Heartless could be coming from somewhere in there. Or at least something from inside there, right? It's better than what we've been trying, anyway."

Sora blinked, a small frown coming over his face. But Riku was the opposite, giving the girl a smile. "Good thinking."

Axel glanced over to Sora and realized that the boy was looking in between Riku and Kairi with confusion, his eyebrows slightly knitted together. The Nobody frowned a little bit, looking saddened. But he couldn't find anything that he could say to try and make him feel better. Reaching up and patting Sora's shoulder gently, and making sure that he wouldn't fall over, the man stood up from the couch and started to round back over to the group. He noticed that Goofy and Donald were looking anxiously over at Sora, waiting for him to notice them and look their way. But when he looked back, he realized that the efforts were wasted. Sora was too preoccupied with Riku and Kairi to notice that anyone else was waiting for his attention.

Realizing that their being there wasn't all that good for Sora, Axel cleared his throat pointedly. "Should we go out then? We don't want to lose track of anything because we were standing around gossiping, right?"

Riku gave a nod of agreement. "Axel's right, we should go. The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back." He turned and glanced over the rest of the people that he had signaled would come along with him. "Are you all ready, then?" Leon crossed his arms over his chest, and Goofy and Donald took a few steps forward. Kairi grinned and nodded, clenching her fists and bringing them up eagerly. "Then let's go down to the gully and—"

"Wait a second!" The others were cut off and immediately turned as Sora spoke out. The brunet looked concerned, his face painted over in worry as he looked at Kairi. Immediately the girl sobered, drawing back slightly as her arms dropped back down to her sides. All eyes were on him, and, self-consciously, the boy's voice dropped in volume as he went on a little slower. "Y-You should stay, Kairi." He looked at her anxiously, and the teenager quickly bit down on her lower lip. When she didn't reply, he pressed on: "It's dangerous out there— you shouldn't go…"

Kairi's forehead creased slightly. "Oh…Sora, I'm— I'll be okay…"

Sora was still unsure. "But you could get hurt."

She offered him a smile. "No I won't! I'll be just fine."

The boy turned and looked over at Riku, slightly accusing. Riku responded by turning back to Kairi and giving her a small nod. She seemed unsure about something— reluctant as she just looked down at the ground and continued to wring her hands together. "Go on, Kairi. It's nothing bad— it'll just reassure him that you'll be fine." She still seemed dubious. But after a moment she nodded, perking up and giving Sora a small smile. Her arm extended at her side, the boy looking down in confusion as she reached out. At first he thought she was trying to beckon him closer and he was starting to wonder how he could get up properly without hurting himself. But before he could ask whether or not that was what she meant, he immediately snapped his mouth shut.

In her right hand, a large gleam suddenly came out from nowhere. It lit up the room for the briefest of moments, and Sora cringed away with a grimace. When the glare passed, something else was left in the girl's grip— something much solid and something that, against Sora's outlook, caused his stomach to drop down to his feet. It was a keyblade. A long weapon that fit Kairi perfectly; flowers and swirls adorned the pink and yellow blade, and going by the way she held it in her hand, it looked like she had had it for quite some time now. Or at least for a few hours— it definitely wasn't new to her.

Sora didn't say anything at first. Kairi blinked, staring at the blade for a moment or two before she lowered it down to her side. She offered him the smallest of smiles. The expression came out awkward and fragile though. She glanced over at Riku. "Riku gave it to me. And I mean…the more fighters we have, the better off we'll be, though, right? It's just more protection." Sora's expression still remained the same, and she tried to put more enthusiasm into her voice. "I wanted to help protect you. And everyone else," she added quickly. "So I asked if I could be of help. And now I can fight too. I can fight for you."

The way she was looking anxiously at him, it was very plain that she was waiting for him to brighten up or at the very least reply. But at first, Sora just couldn't figure out what to get out. His mouth was halfway open, but nothing would get out. He was silent and mute. He knew it wasn't how it should be— any other time and he would have been happy for her. He would have been excited even at the prospect of being able to see her fight and be active in what they were trying to do. But…this wasn't any other time. And suddenly it felt like someone had delivered a swift kick to his stomach, knocking out all of his air entirely.

He felt…sad. He felt like…like he was being tossed under the rug. Forgotten.

He couldn't fight anymore and suddenly here Kairi was to replace him. The word stung. Replace.

Was that what was happening? Or was he looking too far into it? Could he even tell at the moment? He tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady and not blinking as he realized that his eyes were beginning to prick and burn. He looked from the girl's keyblade, to Kairi, to Riku, then back to Kairi's keyblade. His hands shook slightly where they were concealed from the others in his lap. Aerith noticed the small tremor, but she did not bring it to everyone's attention. She just glanced over at Sora, and, frowning, managed to tear her gaze away and back to the group in front of her.

Kairi was growing more and more apprehensive by Sora's silence. "Sora?" she asked softly. She tilted her head to the side. "…Are you okay?"

He cringed mentally and swallowed back whatever emotions were bubbling at the back of his throat. Instead he choked them down, regardless of whatever else he might think. And, pasting it on like someone would yank a mask down over their head, Sora forced the corners of his lips to pull back into the form of smile. His throat was hot and swelled; he cleared it so that his voice would not come out rejected and hurt. And, feeling the weight of all the stares on him, and also beginning to struggle underneath the weight of what was now being forced onto his shoulders. Kairi's keyblade was burning a hole through his eyes, and he could feel his chest slowly constricting in on itself.

But he smiled anyway. And, feeling the words like poison on his tongue, he said what he had to.

"I'm fine," he assured.

The words felt empty and hollow. But it was nothing compared to the feeling in his chest.

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A/N: Once again, sorry for the wait! Hopefully I'll be able to hear feedback from everyone soon and the update can be more recent. :)

On the other hand, the story will pick up next chapter! The plot kinda started to be put together in this one, so it'll get further into it throughout the next few chapters! I hope you're looking forward to it!

I can't wait to hear from you all! Hopefully I get some feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm so sorry about the wait! I said I would go off of reviews and because of that my attention has been diverted to my other projects. And my school schedule this year is really booked so it's difficult to find time to write. For those of you who are still waiting so patiently, thank you so much! And I hope that the wait is paid off with this new chapter.

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It went like that for a while. The easiest thing to do when you don't know what exactly you should do is what you've already been doing. Nobody in the house really knew what their next order of business should be— on one hand they had the new wave of Heartless that potentially posed a threat to not only them and their town, but other worlds as well. They had to either extinguish the Heartless before they could destroy anything else, or they had to find the source of the enemies and extinguish that.

But on the other hand they had Sora, their friend who was still sick and grievously injured. They couldn't do anything drastic for fear of either drawing danger to him, or neglecting him and the care that he required at this point. But if they focused too much on him, then the Heartless could grow and expand to an even greater force than it already was. The dilemma was clear: going too far in either direction would prove fatal in some area of concern. There wasn't a very good or equal balance when it came to the situation they were in.

So they just stayed in the route that they had first decided to take. Every morning and every night there was a party of fighters that went out against whatever Heartless were still invading the town. Nearly everyone would go out to help, Merlin and Aerith staying back to keep watch over Sora and whatever medical needs might come up later on. And of course, Axel would always come back to hold the fort down if the group ran into serious trouble, which, as the days went on, became more and more frequent.

Things just went into a continuous cycle. For days on end, there was no getting out of the cycle. They just went around and around, in a rut that, although unavoidable, was stifling. There was a sense of tension wrought in the air, along with an unspoken need for a better solution. But it was like when you were in a canoe that was sinking— there were two gaping holes and you can only cover them so much. Stretched out awkwardly across the boat, you couldn't do much but just sit and hope that somehow your actions would pay off better if you held on a bit longer.

But it didn't change the fact that the canoe was still sinking.

And sinking it was.

Every day Sora would watch the others leave and embark on a mission that, if he was not in his current condition, he would probably have been leading. He would have been at the head of the pack, keyblade in hand with Donald and Goofy flanking both sides. But now, anchored down with far too many injuries and sick enough to be bedridden, he was just left to watch silently. He had been under the impression that the longer it went on the easier it would be— that the more he saw the others leave without him, the better it would be to swallow. But he was wrong. At dawn and dusk, when they all traipsed out, it knotted his stomach just to see them go. They would always beam at him and call out goodbyes and try to pretend that there wasn't a lingering awkwardness in the back of their eyes. Sora would do the same, but he would remain perfectly aware of the sensation. He was always perfectly aware.

There wasn't anything he could do though. He pretended that it didn't bother him— that nothing bothered him. He was polite to Merlin and let the wizard do whatever he needed to in regards to the boy's health. He stayed sitting on the couch or laying down in bed. He didn't even try to object to staying in one spot. And whenever Aerith offered to watch more of her sappy love show, or break out some ancient board game, Sora would always comply without even the slightest of sighs. On the outside, it was almost like he didn't even care anymore.

Whether or not that was a good thing, he had no idea.

It should have been obvious that the cycle couldn't last forever. Everything has a breaking point eventually, right? About a week had passed since the first episode with the Heartless, and it was getting on to be late at night. Sora was in bed, Merlin having helped to transition him there. While the boy was getting slightly better at walking on his own without the aid of the wheelchair, the teenager was well aware of the fact that the wizard was more than upset with every passing attempt he tried to make. He had pretty much stopped trying altogether; recently, every time he saw the elder grow concerned over his well-being, Sora experienced too much guilt to remain stubborn. Giving up was a new skill that Sora was slowly cultivating. That and being intelligent, as Aerith's continuous running of The Bachelor had been sucking away his brain cells.

Sora was in bed staring off into space; Aerith was tidying up the house, and Merlin was busying himself with organizing the medical supplies, counting up the things that they needed to buy more of. So far they were running out of bandages— being that they needed to constantly change the boy's wrappings to prevent infection, it was normally on the tip of their list. Like everything else, it was just another routine thing. The three were accustomed to mostly silence, save for the occasional crackling of the hearth. Sora didn't take to being very talkative anymore, and Aerith never was a chatterbox. Merlin could talk for hours on end, but once he realized that nobody really listened to him, he took the hint well enough.

So the house was consumed in silence— the kind of silence that smothers someone and makes it almost hard to breathe properly. Sora wasn't really focused on it though; he wasn't really focused on much in general. His head took to throbbing round this time of day, so he was mostly just trying to gauge how long he could last before asking for pain medication of some kind. He didn't like to do it a lot; whenever he made the request, Aerith and Merlin would get worried all over again. He'd rather avoid such a hassle if he could. But going by the way that the pain was only increasing, Sora could only give himself the benefit of lasting for another half hour at the most.

The creak of an opening door led the silence of the home to be broken. It was a rather abrupt noise that shattered the quiet, as small a racket as it was. It garnered the attention of Aerith and Merlin, who immediately straightened. Sora tried to curb his attention in contrast, continuing to just stare aimlessly. Whatever it was, it probably wouldn't help his mood very much. Either it was the whole party returning, chock-full of stories and reports to tell about what had happened to them, or it was Axel, who had been sent back by the others and was armed with about three excuses as to why he had come back early. Never wanting to tell the real reason why, the redhead always had _something._ They had ranged from "I don't feel well" to "I just got bored" and each one was more pathetic to hear than the last.

But apparently it wasn't either of those two— not in actuality, anyway.

Aerith's voice rose out into a surprised murmur, and Sora could hear Merlin give out something of the same manner. The brunet, albeit very hesitantly, turned his head in the slightest of shifts, unable to hold back a small spark of curiosity at the pair's seemingly-shocked response to whatever had happened. At first, he had no idea why they had acted out in such a manner. It wasn't like this was the first time that the group had come back from dealing with the Heartless, and it didn't look like any of them was injured or hurt. They just all filed inside like normal, completely unharmed. Maybe a few of them bore scratches or bruises, but it wasn't anything to take a second glance at.

Kairi was the first to shoulder all the way inside. Her blue eyes were clouded and troubled, and Sora perked as he realized her eyes went right for him. She smiled widely at the sight of her friend, looking relieved at the mere sight of him. Against himself, Sora returned the grin, just as cheered by the girl's presence as she was. However, as Kairi shifted to the side, the weapon she held in her hand was brought into view from behind her, back— the keyblade that she had been given from Riku. Sora blinked rapidly, unable to keep his face from falling just a little bit at the blade. Kairi's expression did the same, though hers fell into a more confused stare, as if she wasn't sure what was wrong. Her eyebrows pulled together and she took a step forward, her mouth opening as if to ask what the matter was. Thankfully, Riku spoke up before she could get a single syllable out.

"We came back as soon as we could," he announced, stepping forward so that he was in front of Kairi. Sora blinked, his attention momentarily diverted as he realized that he must have been missing something. At first glance from where he was, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Save for, of course, the new weapon that was now clenched tightly in Kairi's hand. It was hard _not_ to notice that one— the boy felt as if there was some kind of spotlight on the thing. But still, it was only important to him. And it was nothing new— it wasn't anything to have garnered that gasp of shock from Aerith and Merlin. And as his eyes flickered over to the pair presently, he realized that they were standing erect, still looking somewhat caught off-guard.

"What are you doing here?" Aerith asked, her voice almost stunned.

Another voice replied to the inquiry— a voice that Sora could not mistake even if he was three feet underwater. "I needed to speak with you all; I figured that you all would still be together, and it seems like I was right to think so. Frankly, it's a bit of relief on my part." Sora's eyes widened at fraction as the newcomer piped up, and despite the way that his body twitched in sharp pain, he turned and propped himself up on one elbow, craning his neck in the attempt to properly see what was going on. The effort was pretty much wasted in itself, and he was almost grateful for the fact that the new arrival came forward regardless.

They were about three feet shorter than everyone else, at the very most. With such a height difference, it made seeing them around the others impossible from where Sora was on his bed. But thankfully they picked and nudged their way forward, weaving through the others to be at the forefront of everything. Once they did, they perked, immediately turning and locking eyes with Sora. The teenager stiffened a little bit at the sign of abrupt attention, and he recognized the initial sense of pity that flashed through the person's eyes at just the sight of him.

Yet Mickey recovered after the first passing moment. Once he did, the King recovered, looking just as bright as he always did, though Sora's returning grin was a little less bubbly in comparison to his. "Sora!" the mouse cheered, his pity melting quickly into a feeling of relief instead. "I was wondering how you were getting along; I figured that after all this time, I might as well come over and stop by to check on things." Sora blinked slowly, not at all sure whether or not he was being entirely truthful. He hadn't come by yet to look over things, and it had been going on about two and a half weeks by this point. Why now? It didn't seem so innocent.

 _Are you kidding me? You're so bland now about everything. Whether or not he came for that sole reason, he_ is _wanting to know how you're doing. How about you get your head out of the dumps and try to appreciate that fact for a second, hmm?_ Mentally, he berated himself. He was being a grade A sourpuss recently. It came in waves of course, but right now was not the moment. He put a smile on over his face, hoping that the expression reached his eyes in a proper manner. "Hey, Your Majesty," he hummed, his voice a quiet mumble. Not sure on what he was supposed to say in a situation like this he asked a little awkwardly: "…Sorry to make you come out all this way…"

"Oh don't you worry," the mouse replied, shooing away the apology at once. He grinned, his hands on his hips. "I would do anything for a friend; it's no trouble!" He tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner. "How are you getting along, then? Are you feeling any better?" At first, Sora considered this to be just another run-of-the-mill question. He got on every morning and every night by Merlin or Aerith— this one would be no different. He'd just have to swallow back the small tide of frustration and answer accordingly: that he felt fine enough, considering the situation. But after pausing a moment and looking over at the mouse, he realized that it wasn't completely like what Aerith or Merlin usually proposed at the start or the end of the day.

Thanks to being propped up in an awkward way, he was nearly eyelevel with Mickey. Usually he had to look down in order to see the King, so his expressions were a little bit harder, or at the very least more awkward, to make out. But now they were at the same height. Sora could see that there was a forceful kind of push in the back of the other's gaze. There was an expectancy to the stare that the King had— a look that told Sora that there was more purpose to the question than just sheer concern for the boy's comfort.

Apparently Sora wasn't the only one to notice such a thing, either. Riku's eyes narrowed just slightly— having spent much more time with the King in comparison to anyone else, the simple sound of something awry in his voice seemed to set the other off. Merlin seemed skeptical too, tilting his head to the side as he surveyed Sora and Mickey a little carefully. But despite the changed looks or expressions, neither Merlin nor Riku spoke out against anything. They remained silent, allowing proper space for Sora to reply. It took a moment, as the teenager had to sort through the awkward looks shared between the two and the odd manner that Mickey held himself to. But he managed to find a reply nonetheless.

"I'm getting better," he said, speaking slowly as he chose his words with care. He really couldn't brag about his state at the moment— he _was_ laying down in a bed after all, which was what he had been doing for the past… _forever_. Patience is a virtue, yet it is a virtue that Sora was sorely missing most of the time. Staying cooped up like this was torture for someone like him, who loved to get out and run around. He felt like voicing the complaint, and he knew that he was perfectly capable. If prodded, he could probably rant and rave for about five hours at the minimum. But he had not been asked to complain and wail, he had been asked about his physical state. He could probably complain at another time. Maybe. Shaking himself mentally and trying to change his train of thought, he turned to offer a pinched smile over to Merlin and Aerith, who brightened significantly at the look. "Merlin and Aerith have been great. I don't have much at all to complain about."

Mickey beamed at the shred of good news. Though Sora was acutely aware that, from where he was standing behind him, Riku still looked a little dubious as he stared at the mouse. His eyes were somewhat clouded and drawn in comparison to what they normally looked like. Sora's forehead creased and he opened his mouth, starting to wonder whether or not something else was going on. If so, he had absolutely no idea what it could be. But before he could get a syllable out, Mickey spoke first, effectively cutting him off. "That's great! I knew that I would be leaving you in more than capable hands." He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing somewhat in thought. "So…you're feeling much better? You certainly look like it."

Sora blinked a few times, considering the question. It was a hard one to answer, truthfully. He had made some progress, of course; it would be impossible _not_ to have made at least a touch. He had started walking again, though he had to use his keyblade as some kind of support. But he still felt exhausted— like he was always forced to hold up a weight that weighed a million pounds. His stomach was always clenched in nausea from his injuries, and he still couldn't sleep at all. And if Aerith didn't look so upset whenever he did so, Sora would never fail to turn down the offer of food.

He blanched for a heartbeat, inwardly debating on what his answer should be. Mickey seemed to grow concerned at the lack of a quick reply, perking as he asked: "You are getting along better now, aren't you? Or…is there anything that I can do to help you a bit more? …Do you think you have a guess on how long it'll be before you can be up and about again?"

Once again, Sora tried to speak. He opened his mouth and began to craft a response that, he was hoping, would make him sound less scattered than he really was at the moment. But, once again, he did not get the chance. From where she stood at Riku's right-hand side, Kairi took a small step forward, her eyebrows pulling together in a sense of slight puzzlement. "I assure you, Your Majesty, we're doing all that we can. It just takes time. And— and rest."

Merlin chimed in as well, the elder's voice slightly teasing, though there was a sense of warning underneath his words. "I'm sure that you of all people do not need a lesson in patience," he said gently. Just like Riku, he was looking at the mouse with a sense of wariness almost. "Didn't you see the state he was in when we first found him? The boy has come a long way from then, and he should be proud enough of that already." With the hidden compliment, the old wizard's eyes softened somewhat as he turned and gave Sora a tender smile.

Mickey straightened, seeming faintly surprised. "I— of course I saw what kind of state he was in. I was just wanting to know ow long you thought it would be before—"

Yuffie put her hands on her hips, looking cross. "Before _what_?" she demanded, her voice barbed.

A certain kind of heavy silence settled over the house. The group seemed tense now, or at the very least confused. Sora considered speaking up and putting himself into the thick of things, but taking in the crowd around him, he was suddenly less inclined to do so. He was just as puzzled as everyone else seemed to be, and he wasn't even really sure on the source of it, either. No sooner had the surprise return of the mouse presented itself did it begin to turn gradually sour.

Riku cleared his throat. When he spoke up, his voice was flat. "So why did you really come, then?" he asked. Mickey turned, just staring blankly at the other, as if he wasn't able to even comprehend the question. Riku paused for a moment to allow the mouse to consider and reply, but when it did not come, he shook his head and elaborated further. "There's something you're not telling us. You're worried about something. And you didn't come all this way just to check in." He paused, then added a little scathingly: "You haven't up until this point."

Mickey shifted his weight from foot to foot, heaving a sigh as he stuck his hands into his pockets. He glanced down at the ground, training his gaze there for a moment or two. When he looked back up, he did so with a heavy expression. "I guess I'm not as good a liar as I hoped I would be, then." He offered a smile after this, though it came across as weaker than he probably intended. Another sigh made itself known, and as the others continued to look expectantly the mouse's way, he eventually reached up to rub at his forehead wearily. Lowly, he mumbled: "Aw, geez…I'm sorry."

Axel let out a huff, shaking his head as he finally interjected. Finally being a very, very key term. Sora was actually wildly surprised that he hadn't spoken up yet with all that was going on. The day that Axel was polite and tight-lipped was the day that Sora would drop dead. Though, considering the situation that the teenager was in now, maybe that wasn't such a good analogy. "What's this about, then? What's going on? If you have something to say, you might as well come out and say it. Right now it looks like you're just beating around some bush."

All eyes were for the mouse. Nobody else keyed into the conversation or tried to ask questions or demand any answers. They just stared. Most of them were more off-set than anything else, looking at the king with a sense of bemusement or indignation at the puzzling visit. In comparison to everyone else, Kairi seemed much more worried. The redhead's eyes were troubled and strained, her hands wringing in front of her in a nervous fashion. Sora was very much aware of the girl's gaze boring a hole through him, yet he tried not to show it. Instead he kept his gaze firmly fixated on Mickey.

After a few moments of silence that felt more like five or so hours, he finally began to explain himself, however reluctantly it was forced from his mouth. "I'm sorry," he repeated, the words heavy as they came out in the form of an exhale. As Sora was able to see his expression clearly now, the teenager could see an overcast of worry come over his face— it seemed weighed down and exhausted, and suddenly much too stressed. "I know that I haven't been back here until now— I feel awful for that. It wasn't because I didn't want to, it was because I was too busy."

Kairi took another step forward, edging closer towards Sora. He tried to ignore it. Instead he rose up slightly, fighting a flinch as he propped himself up on his good elbow. Though his arm shook slightly with the effort. "Busy?" he repeated. "You were too busy? Busy doing what?" There wasn't anger in his tone of voice— just confusion. What was happening? What was going on?

Kairi was tense. Her fingers intertwined to clasp her hands together in front of her, and she shuffled her feet awkwardly as he called out: "Maybe we shouldn't do this here." Riku looked over at her with the suggestion; by the look on his face, it was clear that he was inclined to agree with her. The redhead was not at all comforted by the silent support, her expression terse as she pressed: "Let's go talk somewhere else. That way—"

Sora flashed her a glare, the hot-headed glance causing the girl to snap her mouth shut at once. "What do you mean go talk somewhere else?" Sora demanded, his voice uncharacteristically snippy. "Are you trying to hide something from me?" The accusation stung enough to just ask outright. Out of every person here, he would least suspect Kairi of willing to exclude him or shut him out. His thought process must have been clear in his expression; immediately Kairi seemed contrite of her lack of foresight. The girl straightened, her face falling as she bit down hard on her lower lip. But thankfully before either of them could say anything else, Mickey took control of the situation.

"I'm not going to try and hide what's going on. But you guys must have noticed it by now?" The others stagnated, unsure of how to reply. If they didn't know how what he was referring to, how in the world could they have replied? The mouse seemed reluctant to believe that they were in the dark, but at the groups' lack of response, he went on anyway. "Ever since I went back home to visit Minnie I've been preoccupied trying to sort things out. Recently there's been more and more Heartless activity. I've been trying to stop it before it could grow any more than it already has, but that's just the problem. No matter what I do, their numbers keep getting bigger and bigger. And the longer it goes on, the more worlds start to pick up the problem."

Riku, Kairi, and Axel's eyes immediately shot to Sora as the piece of information hung itself in the air of the home. Donald however was not paying that much attention. Rather he was garnered more to the news at hand concerning the Heartless. At the very mention of the things, he stumbled forward, looking shocked and flabbergasted, but mostly enraged. "You mean they're everywhere now!?" he all but screeched. The duck stomped his feet on the ground— an uneven tempo of fury. "They're _spreading_!?"

Mickey looked at his friend wearily and gave a slow nod. "At first it was just my world. But then I got nervous so I went to check around. The flood hasn't spread everywhere yet, but it's getting dangerously close. Too close for my comfort. And from what I've seen here so far, the problem's already here. So you know what I'm talking about, right?" The others nodded, albeit reluctantly. The mouse mimicked their movement in turn. "I came to try and see whether or not I could get help. Whether or not I could get a…" He trailed off, blinking for a moment. Then he turned, looking at Sora with an expression that hinted at deep sorrow. "…strong number."

Sora's eyes rounded out in surprise. He opened his mouth, beginning to say something.

Once again. He was not permitted.

"No." Riku's objection was coarse and flat and without question. It came nearly half a second after Mickey finished speaking, and there was a sense of anger that vibrated through each syllable, derived from the mere fact that the mouse had overstepped boundaries enough to make this uncalled-for request. "Absolutely not. Are you serious!? You're only giving him a few days before you ask him for _help_? You've got to be joking!" Sora jerked in shock at the sudden volume, flinching at the lance of pain that went up his side in response. He didn't expect Riku to react in such a manner; usually he held Mickey in very high esteem. He hardly ever dared to question him, much less yell outright like he was.

"Riku, please…" Merlin consoled the boy with a murmur and a gentle warning look. The other still seemed angered, his fists clenched at his sides as he gnashed his teeth together. Yet regardless of whatever he might be feeling, he was able to hold himself back enough to follow the wizard's instructions and keep quiet. Taking initiative after him, the elder took a step closer to the mouse, looking grave. "I'm sorry, but you must realize the severity of the situation. We don't mean to be rude, yet you cannot blame us…"

"I understand it perfectly," the mouse replied. "Otherwise I wouldn't come over here like this. I knew it was a stretch to assume that Sora would be able to help." He turned back to Sora with this, downcast and regretful. "I had just hoped that I could get all the numbers I could to try and make sure that we could end this problem before it got any worse." He paused, seeming to debate inwardly. But after the small lapse, he seemed to take whatever he was thinking back and shook his head instead. "I'm sorry— I should have been thinking more."

"An understatement of the century," Axel drawled.

To Mickey's credit, he ignored that comment. He turned instead to take rank of everyone in front of him, putting his back to Sora in the process. He stiffened, his face falling in severe disappointment. But at this point nobody at all was paying attention to him. "I also came to ask you all for help too. You all might have been trying to stop the spread of Heartless here, but the other worlds are in danger too. They don't have anybody that are as good of fighters as the ones that are here. I know it's a lot to ask you all for, but we can't let the worlds fall into darkness— not now."

"I don't know," Yuffie murmured after a pause, the girl leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest. "We've been going out every day to try and wipe out the Heartless and it seems like it does absolutely nothing. They just keep coming day in and day out. We were planning on maybe trying to leave and find the source of whatever has been sending all of them out, but…" She paused, trailing off for a moment. She shook her head and cleared her throat, starting over. "We've been busy. Between taking care of Sora and keeping him safe _and_ dealing with the Heartless, we're pretty thinly-spread as it is. It's a hard thing to keep up."

Sora attempted to interject. "If I could—"

"We can't just let every other world suffer because we can't 'handle' a few extra chores," Axel objected, putting his hands on his hips. Yuffie pursed her lips and shot him a look that was only half-angry. Axel replied with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, if all we have to do is visit a few places and knock out a few heartless it should be pretty simple. If we split up, it'll take even less time, you know? I think we could do it." The others didn't reply at first; they just looked on in silence. Axel cleared his throat and raised his arms in a signal of surrender. "But that's just me I guess."

"I say we go teach them who's boss!" Donald squawked.

Aerith gnawed on her lower lip, her eyes dark and troubled. She glanced over at Sora, unnerved by the expression that was now plastered over the boy's face. A few moments went by, in which she seemed to be in deep thought. When she spoke up, her voice was softer than usual and more hesitant, as if she wasn't sure whether or not it was her place to come forward and speak. Regardless of whether or not she was completely positive, she spoke anyway. "You all could go." The group turned in surprise at the offer. Aerith paused, leaving a space for someone to object to her if they saw fit. But when nobody did, she slowly continued. "Merlin and I could take care of Sora by ourselves. Maybe…maybe Axel could stay here and help keep Hollow Bastian safe?" She looked anxiously at the redhead with the suggestion; thankfully he didn't seem to mind at all. "The rest of you could divide some worlds among yourself?"

Riku still seemed doubtful. "Aerith, I don't think you realize…"

The brunette perked, obviously not wanting to break out into a fight with her friend whatsoever. Yet at the same time, she was reluctant to back away from her point. "Well I'm just saying that Axel has a point. I know Hollow Bastian is important, and Sora is even more important. But we can't let the other worlds be swallowed by Heartless and darkness. Not if there's something we can do about it. Wouldn't you feel awful if you heard something had happened and you hadn't tried to do a single thing against it?"

Riku seemed frustrated. "Well, yes— but we have to prioritize."

"Prioritize what exactly?" Cid asked.

Yuffie heaved a sigh. "I hate to admit it, but Aerith's got a point. We can't just sit around and do nothing. Before now, we had no idea whether or not the other worlds were in any kind of danger. Now that there's no doubt, we've got to act. And I like what Aerith said. That way Sora's still taken care of, and we've got Axel back here to help keep at least some of the Heartless away. We can dash out, help kill a few Heartless, and then come back. Nobody said it has to be a week-long excursion. Out and back. Check a few places and then be satisfied."

"You make it sound simple," Riku objected. "It's not that simple."

Yuffie met his stare with raised eyebrows. "But is it as hard as you're making it out to be?"

He started to reply but bit it back instead. He sighed heavily through his nose and looked away, a scowl settling over his features quickly. Yuffie shook it off, clearing her throat and moving on. "We should do _something_ at least. We can't let our problems cover up everyone else's. They're just as important too."

Mickey shot her a grateful look. "I need as much help as I can get, and I knew that everyone here would be helpful in the effort to sort things out." He paused and looked around, from one person to the other. It was like he was gauging the kind of fighting force he would be able to unleash with them in his ranks. "So? Who's willing to help? We could leave first thing in the morning tomorrow."

At first nobody stepped forward or offered any sort of volunteer for the enlistment. Axel coughed and made the move to be the first, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "I think you all should do it. Who knows? It might not even take that long." Sora pushed himself up further, ignoring the stitch in his ribs as he opened his mouth to speak. But Axel didn't leave a big enough gap in his speech for Sora to do any such thing. "I don't mind; I can stay here and handle things while you're off wandering around. I'd imagine that since the news of everything has gotten around, I wouldn't be too popular with anyone out there."

Kairi winced. "That probably wouldn't be…" She trailed off as Axel turned and shot her a look. There wasn't much arguing with that point, she figured. But she did speak shortly after, seeming somewhat torn as her eyes flickered over to where Sora was still on the bed. Her expression flashed over with hurt at the look that was on his face, and her voice was softer than normal when she went on. "M-Maybe I should stay here though," she objected. "Axel can go with you guys and I can stay here. I think that might play out a little better."

Surprisingly, Yuffie was the one to reject this statement. "Kairi, you just got your weapon a few days ago. Today you nearly fell right off the ledge of the Bailey because you were trying to reach a Heartless. Not to be rude or anything, but if we're leaving someone to look over the whole of Hollow Bastian, we're going to need someone a little bit more capable." Not inclined to hurt the redhead's feelings, she added quickly: "No offense though. It's just…we need to be realistic. Right?"

Kairi made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. She huffed herself tightly, as if suddenly cold, and she kept her distressed stare trained on Sora. The brunet was tight-lipped once more, giving up the effort to try and keep speaking. Every time he attempted the feat, he was either shut down or not even allowed to try in the first place. He was just looking on now, entirely forgotten as soon as the question of his involvement in the entire situation was answered. His blue eyes were dark and shaded over with disappointment. The look on his face was hard enough to even look at for the girl.

She thought of speaking out against everything in some way. It wasn't fair for Sora to watch this unfold right in front of him; she was starting to regret the fact that they _hadn't_ branched out to have this conversation in private. Maybe then they wouldn't be rubbing all of this right into his face. For someone like him, this was pretty much a slap in the face. But she couldn't try and refute anything when she had no case. They _had_ to go out and help others. They _had_ to make sure everywhere else was safe too. And there was no question on the fact that Sora wasn't really well enough yet to help them.

 _'Are you okay?'_ she asked silently. The others moved on quickly in conversation, deciding that it would be Axel to stay as they began to discuss instead what they would actually do. Two hours, Yuffie was saying. For the first roundabout, they should only be gone for two hours. Sora didn't reply to her question. The teenager settled back down slowly with a pinched look, laying back down on the bed with a slow exhale. Kairi wilted, her lips pulling down into a frown. _'I'm sorry,'_ she mouthed.

Sora blinked slowly. After a heartbeat his eyes flickered away dejectedly.

He was sorry too.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Sora woke up the next morning with a throbbing head, a sore throat, and a heavy feeling inside of his chest. The others were taking care in trying to be as quiet as they could— they must have been hoping that they could manage to weasel out before he caught sight of them. They were organizing themselves into small groups which would go to certain places and leave others out that would be handled by another party. And though they immediately began to spout goodbyes and regretful phrases the moment they realized Sora was watching them, it was clear by the look in their eyes that they were excited for the prospect to come.

Mickey had come back after leaving for the night. He was standing in the doorway, waiting for the others to file out properly so that they could leave. With the others, he offered his own goodbyes and condolences, wishing Sora to get better soon. But it was blatantly obvious that the mouse was more focused on the task at hand— he wanted to get out and search through the other worlds more than he wished to linger or loiter around Merlin's house.

But to their credit they didn't linger for very long. They all were on a schedule— they all had places to do be and Heartless to wipe away. They were gone in less than twenty minutes. Axel stayed back, as promised. He stood in the center of the room, watching the door for a few more minutes as Aerith and Merlin started to go into their daily routine of sprucing up the house and their remaining supplies before going to ask Sora how he felt or how he slept the night before.

After surveying the door for a while more, Axel turned around to look back at Sora. It was clear he wasn't sure what he could do or say to try and make things easier around here. The air seemed to be thick with disappointment already, and Sora's facial expression wasn't making things much better. Trying to lighten the situation, he offered the boy a smile as he shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Sora," he said, his voice adopting a teasing lilt. "I mean— half of them are probably going to have nothing to do out there. And who would want all that legwork? Too much effort if you ask me. We're better off right here."

Sora didn't react. At first Axel thought he hadn't heard him in the first place— he was too busy staring off into space. But then he blinked, turning just slightly to look over at the redhead. A thin smile spread over his face, the expression barely leaking into his eyes with the grin. "…Mhm," he hummed, closing his eyes and exhaling heavily. "I guess so."

Axel's expression softened. He walked over to the boy's bedside and leaned down, clapping a hand lightly down on his better shoulder. Glancing over towards Merlin, Axel spoke under his breath. "Hey, after I get back, what's say you and I work a bit more on trying out your legs? I'd imagine we could make some killer improvement, right?"

Sora nodded once. His eyes slipped shut, the boy having not slept very much at all last night. "M'kay," he mumbled loosely, ducking his head back down deeper into the pillow. He didn't feel much like moving. But the prospect of getting better – if only by a little – managed to appeal enough to him. Maybe if he could handle walking a bit better, he might be able to tag along with the group. Maybe help a little bit more than what he was doing now. Though, really, doing that was pretty easy, considering he was doing nothing at the moment.

At the thought, he cracked open his eyes to look over at Merlin, who was mumbling under his breath nearer to the corner. He was muttering over impatience or lack of supplies. It was always one of those two. With the sight, Sora felt a sense of hopelessness clog at his chest. It probably wouldn't happen. The sooner Merlin would stop his fretting was probably when the sun would freeze over. He closed his eyes again and turned into a less uncomfortable position.

Axel watched Sora a moment or two longer, his grin fading into a small frown. He cleared his throat, giving the boy one last small pat before drawing back. "Well, I'm off for the morning, then. I should be back soon though— when everyone was leaving it looked pretty boring out there." He waited for a response, but Sora didn't give one. His head was throbbing; really, he just wanted to sleep. Axel gave a nod, pursing his lips before turning for the door. "I won't take long, okay? I'll be right back."

Sora nodded and watched him go silently.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He strained, grimacing with the effort it took to keep himself from falling. Axel had returned a little later than the redhead had probably intended. It was around eleven now and the man had left around eight. Taking that into consideration however, the others were only supposed to be gone two hours. They were going an hour over the time limit they had 'sternly' set for themselves, and Sora was inclined not to blame the intergalactic traffic for that one. Aerith had been openly worried, fretting aloud as she had surveyed Sora's bandages to see whether or not they needed cleaning. Merlin had been more thoughtful— he was probably doing all his worrying on the inside rather than put it out on display.

Sora had to listen to Aerith for a whole hour before Axel came back. The redhead had done a few circles over the entire town and fizzled whatever Heartless he had found into oblivion. It was mess to wrangle Sora away from Merlin and his vice-like watch, even more so when Axel had announced that they were going to go out and walk around in front of the cottage. If it wasn't for Aerith pointedly attracting the wizard's attention to something else entirely, they probably wouldn't have gotten away with it. But thanks to the brunette and her complete inability to see Sora even more upset or put-out than he already was, they managed to slip outside.

The hard part came with walking, though. Compared to Sora walking, doing something impossible like persuading stubborn Merlin to do something he didn't want to, was like bending butter— it was child's play. But, to the boy's credit, it was noticeably easier this time around than it was the first. His bad leg was still aching; one misstep or small trip, and the limb immediately screamed in protest. But his other leg was better at giving enough support to compensate, and his head stopped spinning the more baby steps he took. They were small victories, and he was almost questioning whether or not he should even celebrate them. But considering the library of things that he _could_ celebrate right now, he figured he might as well have one.

Axel seemed to agree though. "You're doing a lot better," he declared, watching Sora stagger on with a grin. "You look ready to run all the way to the Bailey and back. We can have a race later. Whoever loses buys the other one ice cream." He leaned back against the wall, his expression becoming thoughtful as he surveyed the boy. Sora didn't reply, and Axel tilted his head to the side, looking concerned. "You alright? You've been quiet ever since last night."

"I'm fine," Sora muttered, grimacing as he tried to lengthen his stride. It pinched, and it didn't feel very good to accomplish. But the feat was managed without too much issue, so he tried to mimic it. "Just peachy."

"Mhm," Axel mused. "Well I'm glad to hear that. You look ready to bend over backwards in happiness."

Sora turned and flashed him a look. "Am I _supposed_ to be happy?" he demanded, his voice coming out a little sharper than he really intended it to be.

Axel met his stare with a level one. "No, not at all," he answered blankly. His green eyes bored into Sora's blue ones and he cocked his head, raising his eyebrows. "You're just not supposed to be this _sad_." Sora's face fell with the unexpected comment. He blinked a few times, unsure of what to say. He wondered if there was an option to say _nothing_. He didn't think there would be. His assumption was proved founded as, once he turned back front and tried to keep walking, Axel spoke up again. "You want to talk about it or something? Talk about what's bothering you?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Sora answered hollowly.

"Sure there is," Axel objected fairly. "There's a lot. More than you want to let on all the time."

Sora scoffed. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means that I know you," Axel stressed. Sora stopped with this, not turning back but listening intently to what the Nobody was saying. Realizing he had his attention, Axel continued with a heavy tone of voice. "You're annoyingly optimistic about everything. Someone could walk over to you and push you over and you'd probably just compliment their muscle capability."

"That's not what I would—"

"Shut up, I'm talking," Axel shushed. Sora snapped his jaws shut, rolling his eyes. "Listen, Sora…I was with you, you know?" The boy's face grew blank with this; he still refused to turn around. "I was with you in that castle the entire time. I saw how much you fought to keep yourself optimistic and how much you tried to spin each situation. That's what you do— that's what I meant when I said that. But…now it's different. It's a lot different, and I know that it's not just me that's been noticing that change in you. Everyone's worried about you but they're too scared to say anything; they don't want to make it any worse than it already is."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked. "They always worry over me— that's all anyone's _been_ doing!" He turned now, shuffling awkwardly so that he could face the other. "And what do you mean I've changed? I haven't changed at all."

"Of course you have," Axel pressed. "You're a lot quieter now. Before this, we had a hard time getting you to shut up. Now…I'm lucky you're talking enough to me right now! You keep to yourself. You just said there was nothing to talk about, but that's just another way that you stay isolated or whatever you want to call it. It's not…it's not _like you_ , Sora. It's worrying everyone." He paused, then shrugged his shoulders in a resigned manner. "It's worrying me too. I thought that things would get better after we got out and after you woke up. But it looks like it's just getting worse, and I didn't even think that was possible."

Sora glared at him. "You're blaming me for the Heartless?"

Axel sighed. "You know that's not what I'm talking about, Sora. Don't try to change the subject."

"I don't want _any_ subject! I just want…I just want—" He broke off, silently fuming.

Axel perked. "What? What do you want?"

Sora let out an angry yell. "I want you not to have distracted Yuffie!" he yelled, unable to stop himself. Axel blinked, more confused than anything as he pushed himself slowly off the wall. His mouth was halfway open, as if he was groping for something to say. But Sora was sick and tired of being cut off. He was sick of being brushed under the rug. He wanted to speak and this time he would _say it._ "I want to not have gotten caught in the first place! I want none of this to have ever happened! I want to have been able to go on like normal I want to be able to _walk by myself_! I want to be able to _sleep_! I want to be able to _help_! I want to be _the way I was_!" His voice cracked as it rose in volume— his throat was too raw and sore to let it get as loud as it had the capability to be. His eyes were stinging as he glared at Axel, and in some part of his mind that retained sense, he told himself that he was being unfair. But the majority of himself refused to listen. "I want you not to have distracted Yuffie!" he repeated in a yell. "I want to be normal! I want for none of this to have happened!"

"You think I want anything else!?" Axel demanded, surprised at the sudden turn of emotions. "Sora, I would give _anything_ to have you be—"

"But it's not enough!" Sora objected, reaching up to awkwardly swipe at his face. "It's not enough and it'll never be enough! Nothing can change it!"

"Sora, you're just upset with everything that's going on," Axel said, calming himself and his voice down enough to try and console him. The teenager scowled, looking away. "Look— just a few days ago, when you first woke up, I tried to leave because I had that same mindset, you know? Do you remember? And what did you say to me?" Sora glared, steaming as he refused to even look back at the other. With the silence, Axel went on ahead to answer himself. "You told me that it didn't matter what happened before. That everything turned out okay and you didn't regret anything that happened. You made me realize that it was stupid of me to be thinking like that— to be thinking of things I could have done, or things that I blamed myself for. _You_ changed my mind, Sora. You're just getting too confused— you're too upset to try and think straight, right? You just need to take a break. This is what I'm talking about; you're not you right now. You need to be thinking better thoughts. You need to communicate more, because until you do then all these stupid thoughts are going to pile inside your head like trash."

Sora didn't reply, yet his vision blurred even more as he kept turned to the side.

The door to Merlin's cottage opened. Aerith stepped outside, her breath curling out in front of her in a cloud as she shivered at once from the weather. "You guys should come inside; you've been out there for a pretty long time." It had only been maybe fifteen minutes. "Merlin said he wanted to check Sora and make sure the walking doesn't take too much of a toll on him." Lowering her voice into a whisper, she added: "I tried to convince him to let you stay out here longer, but he wouldn't let me." No sooner did she add this last part did she realize Sora's state: the look on the boy's face, and the way that his eyes were tearing up. She started, seeming alarmed. "Sora, are you alright? What happened?"

Sora grimaced, wiping at his face again. He muttered: "It's nothing."

But it had already caught the attention of Merlin. The old wizard hurried forward, opening the door wider and cramming himself into the entryway so that he could see around Aerith. "Sora, my boy, what's the matter?" Looking the child to the Nobody, Merlin seemed to connect some kind of puzzle piece, the older man looking cross now. "Axel, you've upset him!" Axel put his hands on his hips, looking offended at the accusation. "Can't you see that you need to let him be? Come, come inside, Sora, you need to rest more. I say, you'll never get healed at all unless you—"

"He's not upsetting me, _you are_!" Sora yelled, his forehead creased over as he ducked his head.

Merlin broke off, surprised. He looked from Sora to Axel, the redhead looked pained as he took stock of the boy across from him. The Nobody cleared his throat, beckoning the two outside but only indicating Aerith vocally. "Aerith, could you help Sora inside?" The girl seemed skeptical at the order, and not at all inclined to try and make things worse. But when Sora didn't object to it – at least aloud – she relented. Leaning over gently, she looped Sora's good arm around her neck, letting him lean on her as they shuffled back inside.

"Don't worry about anything at all," she assured him sweetly, a ready smile already back on her face. "I can make you tea and you can sit on the couch with a blanket and I'll give you the remote this time. We can watch anything you'd like. I'd bet there's some good movies on to watch right about now. Are you hungry? I could maybe…"

Sora wasn't listening. Instead, he was reaching his hearing back behind him, trying to pick up on whatever Axel and Merlin were talking about. The Nobody had held the wizard back, currently speaking to him in a hushed whisper. He was hard to hear underneath Aerith's voice— Sora couldn't very well ask Aerith to be quieter so he could snoop better. All he heard were bits and pieces. "…not like himself…just think…let him _go_ …might be better to…and I wouldn't let…"

Merlin's voice was louder. Raised in shock, no doubt. "I wouldn't even think of such a thing!"

Aerith was easing Sora over the threshold. As the girl began to shut the door behind them, Sora took the chance to look back at the two. They both looked furious, glaring at each other like two dogs about to leap at the other's throat. It was impossible to tell who was angrier at the other. "You've got to do something!" Axel snapped, his voice louder now. "You've got to let him go!"

Merlin shook his head quickly. "I'll have no more of it! I've said no and that's final! He wouldn't last a single second out there!"

Axel took a step forward, his hands clenching at his sides. "I _said_ I would protect him!"

"You can't always protect him!" Merlin shouted. "Look at the state he's in now!"

If the Nobody was angry before, there was no comparison to now. He gnashed his teeth together, drawing a hand through his hair before snapping and yelling: " _You're killing him_! Okay!? Keeping him here— you're killing him!"

"Sending him out there is the only thing that will kill him!" Merlin countered.

"Is that what you think!?" Axel demanded hotly.

"Of course it is!"

"Then you must not even _glance_ at his face these days," Axel all but growled.

Aerith shut the door. Sora blinked slowly, looking down at the ground. The girl blinked, studying the door and listening with a heavy heart as their muffled shouts managed to leak through the door. After snapping herself out of it, she turned, trying to offer Sora a smile. But it was much too sad to be considered anything of the sort. "Hey…" she whispered softly. Her eyebrows pulled together, and she leaned forward, rubbing Sora's good shoulder as gently as she possibly could. "…You okay?"

"I'm fine," Sora rasped, his voice flat as he continued to stare at the floor. From outside, the two could still hear yelling. But making out specific words was near impossible. At this point, Sora was at a loss on whether or not he actually wanted to know what they were discussing anymore. Softly, Axel's words burning a hole in his brain, he mumbled: "Just peachy."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Once again, I'm really sorry for the wait. It was intended to be sooner but recently I've gotten sick and I just can't shake it so I typed this chapter between bouts of consciousness. Hopefully it hasn't suffered in that respect. The plot is going to pick up in the next few chapters or so. Or— well, the main plot anyway, that involves Sora. It just takes a few more intro chapters in order to reach it. I hope that you all like this new chapter! ((Translation: I hope there are still readers for this story XDD))

I'm so sorry to make you wait this long! Juggling school and three stories is hard to do. I hope you all can understand. And for those of you still reading this, I would love to hear your feedback on what's up so far? Or what's to come? I can promise you that after these next few chapters, everything is subject to change! ;) Thank you! I hope you guys like it!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you very much for the feedback that I've gotten! I was very relieved when I realized that people hadn't given up on this story lol. So for that reason, this update came much sooner than the last one did. Though it's hard to go without updates for _more_ than three months, I suppose.

I'm excited to write this chapter because the plot will actually start to be introduced !

But I will have to say that from now on, I _will_ wait for at least ten reviews before updating. It's going to be my new basis in terms of updating for _all_ of my stories, so it'll help make sure that all my updates are fair and the same for each. So please keep that in mind! :) That doesn't technically mean that if I don't get ten reviews I won't update, though; it just means the updates will be more spaced out and less frequent. I shouldn't have an issue on this story, though, you guys are so awesome! I missed hearing from you guys.

 **AND PLEASE.** Do not fret! While it may seem as though I'm recycling plot points, I am doing absolutely anything but! Just trust me on that one! ; D

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

At first it was quiet. No sound penetrated the silence that surrounded…well, pretty much everything. Normally Sora would chafe and buckle underneath the sensation. It seemed like wherever he went now, silence followed him like an incessant dog that refused to be shaken. Silence had plagued him nearly every day when he had been captured by the Organization; it had surrounded him entirely the night out in the rain when he and Axel were struggling to escape; now, ultimately, it had followed him home as well, with his friends too wary or too frightened to speak for fear for fear of…well, for fear of something that Sora couldn't quite put his finger on.

Now it was here too.

But it did not take the teenager long to discern that there was a difference in this silence. It was much more comforting— it didn't cause him to feel choked or uncomfortable. It was the kind of feeling you get when you just sit down alone somewhere, left to yourself in a peaceful setting that let you just…space away from everything else. It was the kind of silence that a person craved when they were in the middle of a tense situation, and so for Sora, it was like being able to collapse in an oasis in the middle of a scorching desert.

He stood still for a moment, relishing in the quiet for as long as he could. Frankly, he could have probably stayed in that comforting quiet for hours on end and never get tired. But eventually his concentration – concentration on the aspect of pretty much nothing – was broken. He became aware of something else, and it probably should have been the first thought to occur to him in the first place. Regardless of the detail, he did eventually grasp the concept he should have first seen.

He straightened quickly, looking down at himself to see – and this time, fully grasp the fact – that he _was_ standing. Being more concrete, he was standing up by himself, without any aid or help doing so. In fact, he wasn't harmed at all. His injuries that had hindered him ever since he had been rescued were nonexistent. They were gone, just like that. For a moment, Sora was too surprised to do anything. He just stared down at himself, his expression written over in confusion. His forehead creased over in puzzlement. The teenager twisted his head, looking this way and that. But there wasn't too much around him— or at least nothing that he could discern. Mostly everything appeared foggy and out of focus after a yard or so passed.

It seemed to be just another aspect of where he was that made him seem more isolated.

Again, not a bad thing for him. Not really.

He was confused about his lack of injuries— no, that wasn't really at the forefront of his mind. He wasn't exactly anxious on questioning why he appeared fine or unscathed. To be perfectly honest, he was bridging the line of concern about whether or not shining a light on that would cause them to reappear again. Not keen on the possibility even _if_ it didn't exist, he steered clear of it just for the sake of his own anxiety. Instead he just tried to focus on the quiet instead. He knew that once this – whatever this was, though he certainly had an idea – was over, he would not get the change to sit in such calm for again for who knows how long.

Unfortunately, he did not have a long enough chance to do so before he was interrupted.

"Hey, there you are." A voice echoed its way over to where Sora was standing, and, more out of habit that anything else, the teenager jerked in a sense of shock from the unexpected entrance. He turned and looked around, but for the moment, he could not see who exactly had spoken. Going on without a response, the person continued neatly. "You've been gone for about two or three days now. I was starting get worried about where you'd gotten yourself. I think it's a new habit of mine. And I don't thank you for it, by the way."

Finally, whoever it was came into view. It was a little disorienting to see, considering the fact that murky fog seemed to be surrounding them both on all sides. At first, Sora tensed, feeling a sudden burst of heat rush through him. His eyes narrowed into slits, and before he could rethink himself, he took a small step backwards, as if to right the distance in between him and the newcomer. He did not take the moment to stop listen for the person's voice, or try to put a face to the manner in which they walked. All that registered in the teenager's mind was the fact of what this person was wearing. The black cloak, the pulled up hood…it immediately caused Sora's blood to turn to ice and his chest to constrict. Just the mere sight of it pretty much snapped all rational, slow thought from his mind.

The person seemed to realize this once Sora backtracked and grew immediately apprehensive. "Whoa, hey, it's fine." The person stopped a little farther away than they had probably meant to in the first place. They reached up swiftly and pulled their hood down, a frown painting their face over in concern. Sora still remained slightly tense, only relaxing after the person was fully revealed. After realization dawned over him and he was left staring at a pair of blue eyes and some spiky blond hair.

Roxas seemed worried, his eyes slightly round as he looked at Sora with raised eyebrows. Even though his concern seemed a little bit more than obvious, the teenager kept his voice light, almost teasing, when he spoke again. "I didn't realize that you hated me so much. You're making me feel kind of hurt right now."

Sora blinked rapidly, trying to recollect himself before his surprise could be shown even more than it already had been. He straightened, clearing his throat and shaking himself mentally. He could tell that Roxas was not fooled by the way that the blond continued to look at him in weary fashion, but he tried not to let that be obvious either. He let out a puff of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, tearing his mind back to himself enough to offer the other a large grin. "No, no you…" He faltered for a moment; when he picked his voice up again, he shook his head. "No, you just surprised me is all. I wasn't expecting you."

Roxas looked the brunet up and down. He seemed to contemplate something briefly, hesitating as that silence made its second opinion. Though this one was resembled the other brand of quiet instead. It was more stifling, more abrasive. The exact type of quiet that Sora was quickly growing to despise and loath. He twitched and began to squirm underneath the weight of it, and he was beginning to wonder whether or not he could possibly be the one to break it, though he hadn't been brave enough to do so before now.

Thankfully, Roxas did it before Sora was forced to. "Really?" He tilted his head to the side, looking oddly interested in what the other had said. Slightly confused, and a loss to do anything else, Sora just offered a small shrug in reply. Another beat of silence passed before the blond broke the tension between them a second time. "Who _were_ you expecting, then?"

The question, not unlike the original arrival of Roxas, caught the boy off-guard. Again, he could only blink as his mind briefly stagnated. At first he wasn't sure whether Roxas was asking a genuine question, or whether or not he was trying to get at something more specific. Though the boy's voice was level and innocent-sounding enough, his eyes were another story, as he looked at Sora in a manner of intense study or at the very least, interest. It certainly appeared as though he was waiting for some kind of confession or revealing answer.

The teenager blanched, his mouth halfway open as he tried to grope for some sort of reply that would possibly suffice. The answer should have been plain enough, especially if Roxas had an inkling of understanding what things had been like since he had woken up. The boy wasn't entirely sure on what the Nobody could see and what he couldn't see— he imagined that the two of them were one in the same when it came to things like that. Judging by history, it was what he could tell, at least.

The longer that the silence went on between them, Roxas just taking to staring at the boy in silence as he waited for an answer, Sora found that a lump quickly began to form in his throat. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, his eyes flickering down to the floor as his hand, the one that had been stabbed through repeatedly, curled and uncurled in a suddenly-nervous fashion at his side. He wasn't sure how to answer— how to articulate it properly. How to articulate _anything_ properly.

He couldn't put his…fear…into words. Or at least…not as effectively as he needed to. He thought of trying perform such a feat— he hadn't really with anyone else; he wasn't too keen on counting his explosion on Axel previously as an effort. He didn't try to make him understand, it was more like he was just splitting at the seams and couldn't hold some of it in any longer. Maybe if he just took it slower and tried to accentuate a bit more it would be easier; at the very least maybe it would be a tad bit clearer. And he was almost positive that if anybody in the world would understand him the most, it would be Roxas. He opened his mouth, his mind attempting to craft a start, or something that he could push off of. But somehow he was still unable to start.

All he could scrounge up was another listless shrug.

If Sora didn't know any better, he would have thought that a flash of disappointment went through the Nobody's eyes. Sora was wondering whether he could disregard the change— if he could just move on or maybe change the subject. Roxas didn't seem to be thinking along the same track though; the blond was resolute as he continued to stare steadily over at the other. "I'd like to comment on the fact that you've come a long way," he noted. There was a small pause in which Sora continued to look away, and Roxas crossed his arms over his chest. "But I think that you and I both know that it wouldn't really be the truth."

Sora, naturally, tried to defend himself. "That's not true. A lot has happened. And a lot more _will_ happen."

Roxas didn't reply for a heartbeat. Glancing back at him, Sora could almost see the boy almost weighing the words mentally. Eventually he gave in, though the brunet had to wonder whether or not it was really genuine, or whether it was just because he was trying to avoid a confrontation. "I mean— technically," he amended a tad reluctantly. "But…you know what I mean." Sora clammed up and went silent again, starting to wish that Roxas hadn't showed up in the first place. He had been alone then, yes— but it had been calm and serene. He had been able to stand alone unharmed, able to at least try and associate the fact that he was safe and unharmed with reality, though he had known from the very beginning that it was impossible to be anything but.

"Sora, look at me," Roxas demanded, his forehead creasing over. He had to hold back a sigh in order to do so, but he complied. He turned back to Roxas, attempting to make sure that his expression wasn't sour or ticked-off. It was a harder thing to do than he thought it would be. Roxas sighed through his nose, looking at Sora with a mixed expression. It wasn't exactly pity, which Sora was grateful for, considering the fact that he had nearly _had_ it with those looks. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, really. But the Nobody's voice was heavy when he went on. "I'm worried about you; I guess you're sick of hearing that, but it's true. You _know_ that with the way things are going, you're not going to get anywhere."

Sora scoffed softly, shaking his head. He thought of backtracking and trying to stick up for himself in a stubborn fashion. It has been what he's done in the past so far; why shouldn't he just revert back into the cycle like before? Just…continue what he's been doing? But it would be ridiculous to try and lie to Roxas. Somehow he was positive that Roxas would just see right through him. After all, they were kind of one in the same, if you thought about it. It would be like trying to lie to your reflection. So he just deflated, sighing as he drooped. "Yeah…yeah, I know. I just…I can't do anything about it."

Roxas peered at him closely. He switched to putting his hands on his hips instead as he tilted his head to the left now. "You seem pretty sure of that," he noticed.

Sora's eyes narrowed slightly. Though this time it was in confusion rather than anger. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You don't understand. Merlin glares at me every time that I _breathe_ wrong, and I feel like I'm made out of glass or something with the way that everyone treats me. I tried to speak up about all of it, but…I think I just made everything worse." He paused for a moment, a frown crossing over his face wearily. "I think…I think that Axel was trying to help me. I'm pretty sure he tried to convince Merlin to let me go with the others. But…" He didn't need to finish the thought— his disappointed expression did it all for him.

Roxas didn't seem surprised at all surprised that Axel had been the first to encourage change. He debated mentally over what he should say, and he finally settled on something adequate enough. "Listen, I know it's hard, and I know that it's probably the opposite of what you want to do right now. But you need to focus on what's _really_ important." Sora perked in confusion with this, his forehead creasing as he looked at Roxas oddly. To his surprise, he realized that the fog around them seemed to be getting thicker, pressing in as Roxas started to shift out of focus. "Sora, you _know_ what the right thing to do is. You've just got to keep that in mind. Be yourself again— that's all anybody _wants_."

"I don't…I don't understand," Sora said, alarmed as he took a step closer to the Nobody. Roxas was looking around, suddenly seeming on-edge, as if he could see something that Sora was blind to. "Roxas, what do you want me to do? I don't get it!" He huffed in frustration, watching as Roxas got dimmer and dimmer. The blond might have been saying something— he couldn't even tell anymore. Raising his voice into a yell, he tried to squeeze out any sort of communication. "Roxas! Where are you going!? Come back! I have to ask you—!"

Sora was not able to finish his thought. Roxas was gone before he could stop him, and it left Sora lingering alone, suddenly surrounded on all sides by dense fog. Sora turned in a tight circle, his breathing picking up just a hair as he tried to search for some way out of…wherever _this_ was. A gap in the fog? A door with flashing lights? A hole to jump down? Sora would take anything by this point. He closed his eyes tightly, clenching and unclenching his hands as he tried to jar himself out of it. "Wake up, wake up, wake up…" he mumbled underneath his breath, his forehead creasing over in a harsh grimace.

He waited for what seemed like ages, trying to get himself to somehow open his eyes and wake up. He remembered doing it when he was a kid during a particularly bad nightmare. This seemed like it could be the same thing— or at least in the same kind of area. He just had to wake up; he _was_ sleeping, right? But when he opened his eyes again, he found that he was still there, surrounded by fog that was too hard to see through. A frustrated sound started up in the back of his throat and he raised his arms, pressing his hands hard against either side of his head.

He stayed still a few moments more, and he was debating whether or not he should just pick a direction and start walking. But no sooner had the thought occurred to him did he realize that, in the distance, he could hear something emerge out of the quiet. The teenager perked, turning to look back with a small frown towards the new commotion. It wasn't hard to land a finger on what it was— when Sora had been captured by the Organization, sometimes this particular sound was all he heard in a given day. It was footsteps. Coming towards him, and getting closer and closer as it rose in volume.

The boy's heart immediately leapt up in his throat and he hesitated, his eyes flickering back and forth with a sense of panic. Halfway hopeful, he called out tentatively: "…Roxas? Is that you?" Was the Nobody coming back? Why did he leave at all? But whoever was approaching didn't reply. Sora realized with a stroke of alarm that at the boy's call, all that happened was that the footsteps actually picked up in stride. He narrowed his eyes to look through the fog, but it was completely pointless. The footsteps just kept heading for him, and though the teenager knew rationally that he shouldn't be worried about such a trite thing, he could not help but immediately revert in mindset. He turned on his heel and broke into a run, sprinting away from the approaching footsteps and realizing with a stab of panic that the person immediately followed suit. They started running too.

 _This is just a dream, right? Isn't this all just a dream? Whatever's chasing you is probably just that weird spider-raptor hybrid that Tidus used to scare you with. It's just a dream, it's just a dream! Don't be scared! What— are you going to start running from_ everything _now?_ The mental jab was stinging, and it was enough to get Sora to muster up enough courage to slow down. Instead of running, he turned, resolute as he locked his jaw backwards. His eyes narrowed to slits and his hands curled into fists at his sides. The footsteps did not stop or even slow down. They were heading straight for Sora, and the boy was trying not to let the fact that he was shaking show. _Where did Roxas go!?_ Whoever it was sounded close now, and Sora bit down hard on his lower lip, finding that standing still was getting harder and harder to do.

The person finally burst out of the dense fog, and at first, tricked into a sense of comfort, Sora registered the black cloak and hanging beads and he immediately snapped into anger. Color rose up into his face – both out of rage and out of embarrassment – and he let out an indignant shout of: "Roxas! Cut it _ou_ —!" He couldn't finish the sentence before he was barreled into. The oncoming person slammed into him with enough force to entirely knock the wind from his lungs. His back slammed into the ground, and he let out a sharp yelp of shock and panic as the person pinned him down. He couldn't move a single muscle.

Panic immediately sprung forward to cloud the teenager's mind. It was his new habit back at Merlin's house— whenever someone opened the door too fast he would jump, and whenever anyone spoke up too loud he would often cringe away. And the habit did not stop there as the boy froze at once. His eyes rounded out to be ten times bigger than they normally were, and his lungs suddenly forgot how to work and function under such pressure. He stared up blankly at the person who held him down, the only movement from him coming in the form of a tremor.

Whoever pinned him down had their hood all the way up— their face was swallowed up in shadow. However, after a moment of complete silence, they leaned down, hunching over the young boy like a predator does over prey. Sora went rigid, his joints locking together in absolute panic as he could see a faint yellow glow from the depths of the darkness under the hood. Yellow eyes like embers, blazing with fire cold enough to chill Sora immediately to the bone.

The person's fingers curled inward where their palm rested on his shoulder. Sharp nails dug and embedded into his skin, and with those hate-filled eyes drilling a hole straight through him, Sora broke out of his shock just enough to stretch his jaws wide, straining in a gasping inhale as a terrified scream built up in the back of his throat.

Sora jerked awake, his eyes snapping open as he heard his own breathy sob wrench out of his mouth. It took him a few minutes to gather himself, gasping for air as if he had just finished running fifty miles at once. He was covered in a freezing sheet of sweat, and he could feel some of his hair sticking to his face. Adrenaline still raced through his body, yet it began to ebb quickly, and when it did, the pain that enveloped him in his waking world returned. He looked down at himself to confirm and slowly began to realize full that he was awake. His broken arm was splinted firmly to his chest like always; his chest was bandaged from his waistline all way up to underneath his arms, and he could feel his leg pulsating and throbbing in agony. No— no, he was awake now. His injuries were back and he was awake.

He couldn't tell how late it was. Or how early. The house was dark and even the fire had died in the hearth by now. Sora turned and looked around the house, ignoring the pain that stabbed through him as he twisted. It was empty. Either Merlin had decided to actually sleep for once, or the wizard was off fetching supplies or dealing with some matter other than Sora for once. Though the latter seemed a bit unwonted of the old man as of late. Regardless of how or why, the level that Sora now called a home was empty.

The darkness did nothing to ease the boy's worries. He laid himself gingerly back onto the bed, trying to control his breathing again and let himself relax. He stared at the wall opposite of him, hardly being able to see it in the dim light of the room. _It was just a dream. It was nothing else. Absolutely nothing else._ In the back of his mind he knew that it couldn't be entirely true…right? What about that other 'dream' he had had with Roxas? He shook it out of his mind quickly, knowing all too well what had happened last time he had had such an encounter with the blond. He reached up with his good arm and dragged his hand painfully through his hair with a grimace.

 _That's…that's right. No— no, that's right. Last time…last time I had stood up to…to him. Roxas had helped me…we— together we had…_ The image of that person – the person with those burning yellow eyes – lingered in his mind like a cobweb he could not clear away. _It's not possible for them to have…_ He shook off the thought before it could complete itself. Of course it couldn't be possible. It wasn't even _plausible_. He was just scaring himself. All of this…staying here and being forced to do nothing but remember and dwell on what happened to him…it was just getting to him. All of it was. He just needed to be able to leave it behind him— he needed to stop thinking about it.

 _Be yourself again— that's all anybody_ wants. Roxas' words rang in the back of his mind, and he perked slightly, looking down at himself with a slow blink. His Nobody had left before he could finish whatever it was he was trying to say. Or at least, he left before he had the chance to finish his thought like Sora asked him to. But the longer he remained unmoving on the bed, the more he began to realize that maybe he didn't need Roxas to clarify things. Maybe he already knew what the issue the Nobody had been trying to warn him about was.

Being holed up in here without nothing to think or look at but himself and his injuries was doing…well, it was doing all of _this_ to him. He needed to get out of here. He needed to be able to breathe again. He had to listen to Roxas— the blond hadn't steered him wrong before. _But you need to focus on what's_ really _important._ What was really important was everyone else— the danger of the worlds being swallowed up by this new wave of Heartless had been a blatantly-obvious concern ever since the first resurgence. Sora _had_ to protect them. He was their guardian; he had made so many promises to keep all of his friends, and their worlds, safe. That fact alone, combined with his injuries and the way he was treated here…it was all just eating away at him. He would decompose if this went any longer, and now that Roxas had affirmed the idea, Sora could be firmly resolute.

He had to get out of here.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He stayed awake and unmoving, watching the hours slip by in the form of the slow brightening of the room. Darkness softened into light gray which transformed into a yellow before the boy heard the beginnings of movement in the house. Merlin was usually the first one up, closely followed by Aerith. Aerith usually stayed upstairs, though a few times Sora had caught her sleeping on the couch out of worry or concern. Thudding down the steps signaled someone's entrance; Sora was slightly surprised to see that it was Aerith rather than Merlin. She only beat him down when she was already sleeping on the main floor.

The girl surveyed the room for a moment or two, mumbling thoughtfully underneath her breath as her eyes narrowed slightly. But as soon as the girl's eyes landed on Sora, she brightened up like a lamp. "You're up!" she noted, seeming caught off-guard by the fact. Sora offered her a worn smile in turn, expecting Merlin to appear right behind her. Aerith seemed to catch on to the expectancy that the boy had, for she perked, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. She seemed almost nervous. "I'm afraid Merlin won't be back for a while," she explained. "He left this morning. He told me that he would be back, just…not the exact time."

Sora blinked a few times, feeling a little unnerved. Merlin was gone? The wizard _never_ left. He was the first one down in the morning, and the last one to leave at night. His constant presence was one of the things that Sora hated, but now he was left absolutely confused. What was important enough to drag him away? Had something happened and, once again, Sora was left in the dark about it? Though puzzlement and now a growing sense of frustration was rising in the back of his mind, he managed to keep his voice level as he asked: "Did he say where he was going?"

Aerith blinked at the question. She just stared at Sora, and for a moment, he wondered if she had even heard him in the first place. Or at the very least understood what he meant. She just looked at the teenager, seeming unsure of what to say. Before she could land on whatever response she was crafting in her mind, noises outside snatched her attention away. She jerked at the commotion, taking the opportunity of noise to whirl around and fly for the door. Sora watched her go, his eyes still narrowed and his forehead still creased over.

Aerith either did not notice the stare, or she gave no sign of it. She was aiming to open the door, but Axel beat her to it, swinging open the entryway and heading inside quickly. He was cut off with Aerith's presence, stumbling awkwardly to the side in order to avoid crashing straight into her. He looked a little frazzled, which was more than wonted for him. "Oh— whoops; sorry, Aerith," he mumbled, wiping at his face with a small sigh. "Didn't mean to knock you over or anything."

"Oh, no; it's fine," the girl said, glancing away from him, to the other side of the threshold. "What's going on?"

There was still a commotion outside, though it was much easier to define since the door was ajar. It was conversation. Pushing himself up with a grimace and ignoring the stabbing in his chest, Sora turned and craned his neck to try and see out there as well. It was the others— they were all congregating together, looking as if they were getting ready to leave. Their backs were towards the house as they all spoke together, making plans in a tightly-knit group. Nobody even glanced back to them.

Sora was torn at first; his expression went from bemusement, to astonishment, to a sense of indignant resentment. These past few days, everyone would at least try to make it seem like they didn't want to leave him behind. They would all come by in the early morning to talk with everyone back at the house; they made small talk and they would always try to make things seem normal— well… _more_ normal. It wasn't ever anything realistic— Sora was still very much aware that, despite the fact that they had stopped by to make it seem like the opposite, they were still going to get to head out against the Heartless. They just made themselves seem less eager— less willing to leave a friend behind for the sake of other people.

Now they weren't even looking back at them. They seemed in much more of a hurry than usual; they probably didn't even remember him in the first place with the way they were going. Their mumbles were quiet and rushed, different voices and different topics blurring together in a muddle of incoherence. Try as Sora might, he could not follow a single sentence. He waited, his throat slowly swelling. They were outside of Merlin's house; were they going to stop to just say hi? It might be quick with the way they were looking at this point, but…at least it would be _something_.

They didn't. The group turned as one and hurried down towards the main square of the town, probably heading for the Gummi Ship. Sora saw Yuffie and Leon lead the way at the forefront, Riku following closely behind. Even Goofy and Donald left without pausing to bring up the fact that Sora was being left behind. Again. He jerked backwards, as if he had been slapped across the face. He had complained about being at the forefront of everyone's attention before, but now he was just the opposite. He was completely out of their minds— like he didn't even matter. He had wanted something in the middle: how it had been before all of this mess. He wanted normalcy. Not what it was before, and certainly not this.

Kairi was at the back of the group, bringing up the rear. As she began to walk after, Sora could see the flash of a keyblade held tightly in her hand; the mere sight of the thing caused his stomach to clench and fold in on itself. The redhead started to bound after the others when she suddenly lagged back, hesitating almost. She turned, the only one to do so. She looked back through the doorway of the house, and her blue eyes landed on Sora's as a pained expression crawled over her face. Sora blinked back at her, looking just as hurt at the fact that he was now not even a second thought to his friends.

Kairi took a small step back for the cottage, her mouth opening as if she was planning to say something. Maybe a promise to be back early today— or an apology of sorts. But someone from around the corner called her name, and the girl was wrenched back to attention. She hesitated a second more, closing her mouth reluctantly before turning. Sora watched as she turned and raced down the concrete, leaving her friend behind, as well as whatever she had been trying to say.

The boy's heart constricted painfully as he continued to stare, even after Aerith leaned over to close the door. Nobody stopped; not even Kairi. He thought that he had wanted less attention. Now that he was given this, he was left…feeling empty. Emptier than he had _already_ felt, which he wasn't even sure was possible, before this point. What was he supposed to do now? He felt like a mechanical pencil sharpener without a plug— he completely useless by this point. Was that the reason that things were going like this?

Did he not matter to anyone anymore, now that he couldn't fight? Now that he was…like this?

After closing the door, Aerith glanced back at Sora, seeming nervous now as she bit down hard on her lower lip. Her green eyes seemed to blaze with concern, just from the look on Sora's face. There was a brief pause once the door was shut, in which nobody really knew what to say. That, or they did not have the courage that was required to get it out. Axel kept where he was standing off to the side, his expression unusually pensive. Aerith folded her hands together in front of her and resorted to looking down at the floor. Sora just…sat. There wasn't much else he was _able_ to do.

Eventually, Sora could not stand the tension. He looked over at Aerith, asking quietly: "Did Merlin go with them?"

Aerith didn't look up. A few seconds passed, and she cleared her throat. She looked over at Axel, looking flustered. "I'm going to go pick us up some breakfast," she offered, leaving no room for any kind of objection to the proposal. Axel looked between her and Sora, but he did not speak. He just shrugged, which was a good enough agreement as any other. The brunette heaved a rather obvious sigh of relief, and she turned for the door without a single pause. She left in just as much of hurry as the others had.

The slam of the door seemed lot echo in the small cottage.

Axel crossed his arms over his chest, his expression seeming wrought with thought. He sighed as well, turning to look at Sora with the smallest of grins. "Anyway, good morning," he drawled, trying to wriggle a laugh out of the boy as best he could. But the effort was obviously wasted, and the grin faded quicker than it was brought to life. Instead, the Nobody seemed to wilt, taking a few steps into the house, albeit slow and careful. "Look…Sora, I'm sorry. I know how bad this might look." Sora refused to look at him; the teenager looked down at the blankets still over his legs instead, withdrawn. But that did not deter Axel as he kept trying. "But you just have to sympathize with them. They have no idea what's going on— _still_. It's chaos out there; you know how bad it can get."

"No," Sora could not hold back bitter venom from lacing his voice. "I don't. Everyone's made a pact to keep it from me."

Axel looked tired. "They're just doing what's best for you."

Roxas' words flashed through Sora's mind. Growing irritable now, he snapped: "This _isn't_ what's best for me."

The other hesitated with this. Debated over the idea for a few moments. He ducked his head and shrugged, seeming to be at a loss. "I don't know; it's hard to tell anymore, you know?" He waited for Sora to reply, but the boy didn't. He struggled on regardless. "In a way it isn't, and I know that. But in a way, it really _is_ , Sora. You can't go around fighting when you're in a state like this. It'll just hurt you more, and then this entire situation will just get even worse. You know? It's nothing personal— not at all."

Sora scowled, still refusing to meet his gaze.

Axel put his hands on his hips, now just a few feet from the boy's bed. He stopped there, leaning over a little as he raised his eyebrows. Though he kept his voice gentle, there was also a sternness there that demanded to be registered. "Look, we both knew that this wasn't going to be easy. It never was, you know? But…we got this far." Sora blinked once, his eyes flashing. But he still looked firmly down at the sheets across him. Axel kept on, for his credit. "We got this far, and that's a miracle in itself, if I do say so myself. I thought we would get maybe half this far before we got stopped." He paused, probably waiting to see if Sora would crack a smile at this. He didn't. "You just can't give up now. You've got to keep your chin up, right? We'll all make it out of this one all right, just like we did the last situation. You've got to keep that in mind."

Sora just reached up with his good arm and pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead. He grimaced, as if he was in some kind of pain.

Axel bit down on his lower lip, leaning back and straightening. He was wearing a small frown, looking forlorn at Sora's silent refusal to acknowledge him. Wanting just the smallest of replies from him, Axel prodded lightly: "Got it memorized?" Sora was immobile in his stance, though. Deflating and giving a small sigh, Axel's voice was weaker as he asked: "Sora…would you really run such a risk?" he asked. "I tried fighting with Merlin, and I understand that you want to get out— I want you to too. But…" Sora stiffened, his eyes widening somewhat. Even Axel was against him now? "But…you could get hurt. More than you already are."

Still nothing.

"Sora, would you really rather die than stay here?"

The boy ducked his head, locking his jaw backwards and squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he all but spat: "Yes!"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Activity had dwindled. Well— dwindled would imply that activity had slowed from a high point. It had never even really _started_ in the first place. Aerith had come back from her breakfast run with food that only she and Axel ate. Now she was sitting on the couch, crossing and uncrossing her legs in a tense fashion. She had taken up knitting recently – what else were you supposed to do when you were like this, after all – and so she was working on that. If she wasn't so meticulous with her work, she could probably have made a blanket big enough to cover every single one of them by now. But, up until this point, all she had to show for herself was the growing skeleton of a scarf.

Axel was leaning against the mantle, flicking embers lazily into the fire every so often. He was not focused on the task though— his eyes were trained on Sora, who was, stubbornly, practicing his walking. Using his keyblade as leverage like he had adopted recently, the boy limped and staggered from one wall to the opposite. He had been doing it all day, really, despite the exhaustion that was hanging over his features by now. The sun was starting to set, and nothing had changed. The air was still thick with tension, Sora's expression was still clouded over and upset, and Merlin and the others were still gone.

Axel had tried to break the ice a few times. He had told Aerith a few jokes, but he hadn't gotten much of a laugh out of her. He had tried to distract Sora by asking him a few pointers on fighting, but Sora had only stared at him at the inquiry. It hadn't been too long before the Nobody realized that all efforts would turn out to be for nothing, so he just withdrew to the side, taking to hovering a ways away to watch Sora and make sure that he did not fall or get hurt.

The only bright side of the day was the fact that Sora was slowly getting walking under thumb again. It was still taxing for the boy, and more than frequently he was forced to sit down and rest for a long moment. But just the fact that he was walking, even with the help of his keyblade, was impressive, with all that the boy had been from. It was just staggering steps as well; it would probably take him quite some time to walk more than ten yards all at once. But still— Axel was proud of him.

He hesitated, shifting a little bit as he continued to watch the teenager shuffle his way back and forth. He considered whether or not he should voice such thoughts aloud; would it help Sora to hear that his progress was being noticed? Or would it just make him more upset? It was hard to tell these days. Initially, Sora had been fine after waking up. Well— fine being quite loose terms. He was _alright_ ; he was still cheerful most of the time, save for a few episodes when he would drift away and become more distant. But as the days went on, that part of him seemed to grow more and more prominent. The happy person that he had been before was rare, usually slipping out more by accident than anything else.

It was confusing. One moment, Sora would be acting one way, and the other, he would flip. The others grew wary of this mood change, unable to decipher exactly which one it was at what time, and always concerned on what could possibly evoke such a shift in attitude. Frankly, Axel was starting to wonder whether or not Sora was just as confused with the changes as the rest of them were. After all, it was really unlike the kid to be anything less than obnoxiously giddy all the time. Now he was a polar body.

It was sad.

Axel was just beginning to think that his comment wouldn't do any harm, and he might as well just come out and say it, when the chance was suddenly ripped away from him. The door burst open with a slam, causing Aerith letting out a sharp squeak of alarm. Axel jerked to attention, his eyes immediately flashing over to Sora, who had indeed become unbalanced at the break in concentration. The boy teetered and before he could capsize, Axel dashed forward and caught him, putting his hands on either of the other's shoulders to help him right himself. Sora muttered something in reply, seeming flustered by the additional help.

Not wanting to let the boy focus on it in any way, Axel made sure he was able to stand and then turned over to the door. He held back a groan as he realized that it was the group; they had apparently returned from their day-long expedition, and they were doing so very _loudly_ and _pointedly_. Axel started to look back at Sora, wondered dismally if these people had any kind of filter. Yet as he moved his gaze, he went rigid, his eyes widening as he realized what all the fuss was about.

Riku was holding on tightly to Kairi, his expression grave as he helped the girl enter the home. The girl was in pain, her face set into a permanent grimace as she held tightly to her arm, which was gushing blood. At the sight of the injury, Aerith immediately stood up from the couch and rushed over. Riku seemed a touch relieved by her appearance, though his voice was still taut with worry as he started to speak. "Kairi mistimed a swing— the Heartless slashed her arm open, and we had just run out of potions." The girl bit down hard on her lower lip; as she opened her eyes to look at Aerith, Axel could see that they were glistening with tears. "You can help her, right?"

Aerith nodded. "Sit her down there," she said, gesturing to the couch. Riku obeyed, and Aerith wasted no time in dashing away to fetch what she needed. Sora was silent, watching this all unfold as if it was something on television. The others, everyone who had gone out, clustered around Kairi, all looking frantic with worry. Looking at the scene, Axel's expression soured just slightly. They were so oblivious— so thoughtless. Kairi would be _fine_ ; Sora had that same exact wound and tens more just like it. He could imagine how much closer Kairi had gotten to everyone now that she was able to go out and fight alongside them. With Sora stuck in here, and Kairi able to build tough relationships with everyone else, lines were beginning to be drawn. Maybe not consciously— no, Axel didn't think that any of this was on purpose. But it was happening, nonetheless. It was still there, and it was still damaging each and every one of them.

Aerith rushed back, carrying with her a roll of gauze and medicine. She was rattling off comforting words – Axel had heard the spiel ten times over after being around Sora for so long – but the girl wasn't paying attention. She had turned, one eye open and the other closed in pain as she looked over at Sora. The boy had been forced to sit down on the edge of his bed, too tired to keep standing up. As she turned her gaze towards him, he blinked once, his eyes flashing down to her injury. His expression was unreadable, though at the blank stare, Kairi's own grew tense with apprehension.

Then Sora looked away.

Kairi sat up straighter, looking injured at the refusal. Axel grimaced, looking down and rubbing his forehead with a small sigh. He did not have long to linger over the scene though, before there was a hand on his shoulder. Roused by the touch, he turned around to find himself face-to-face with Riku. The fact shocked him; he hadn't even seen him leave Kairi's side. Befuddled, Axel opened his mouth to say something, when Riku grabbed his hand and pulled him aside. The Nobody found himself being carted away into the corner, and suspicion slowly replaced his surprise.

Riku did not speak until they were away from the group. And when he did, his voice was overly cautious, making Axel's suspicion only spike. "Axel…I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time. I always stopped myself because I knew that it would probably be too much to ask of you. But now that…" He glanced over at Kairi. "…Now that this happened, I don't really have much of a choice anymore."

Axel raised an eyebrow as Riku paused. "Well unless you're going to ask for my hand in marriage, I have to admit that I have no idea what you're getting at, here." Riku still was quiet for a moment, looking torn or conflicted. Axel grew a tad nervous now, though he tried to shake it off by asking innocently: "You're _not_ going to ask for my hand in marriage, are you?"

Riku let out a short sigh. He said the next sentence in a rush. "You've got to come with us."

Axel was caught off-guard. "Excuse me?"

The other sighed, glancing over towards Sora. But the boy was still looking off to the side. "You've got to come and help us. The situation out there isn't getting any better, and we really need all the help we can get." Ignoring Axel's look, he lowered his voice and went on. "Kairi isn't that great at wielding a keyblade— she hasn't got enough practice to fight efficiently. She's getting better, but she still has a long way to go; I don't want her to have any more episodes like this." Axel looked over his shoulder; Aerith was wrapping the gauze around Kairi's arm, having just finished cleaning it as much as she could. "We're wasting your fighting ability by keeping you here. With you out with us, you—"

"Wasting my ability by keeping me here?" Axel repeated, incredulous. "First of all, you aren't 'keeping me here.' I _want_ to stay here. And you know why I do? Because right now, Sora thinks he doesn't have a friend in the entire world!" Riku winced, leaning back as he closed his eyes. Axel's eyes flashed with derision. "I'm not going with you, Riku. I'm not leaving Sora alone. To him, I'm probably the last person he has at the moment; _if_ he even thinks _that much_."

Riku shook his head. "That's not true. We're just trying to fight away the Heartless—"

"Without him," Axel finished. "And taking every chance to remind him that he can't fight in his condition. You don't see him like I do, Riku. He's crushed. Taking me out of the picture would be the last straw. I'm not going out there— I'm staying here with Sora until he's better."

Sora blinked, turning over and catching sight of Riku and Axel hidden away in the corner. Looking from Kairi to the two of them, Sora swallowed thickly. He could tell that there was a fight, though he could not hear whatever they were saying. Axel's hand were on his hips, and Sora could see that Riku's eyes were narrowed, his mouth moving quickly. Nobody else seemed to notice; they were too busy whispering together or looking at Kairi anxiously. Sora continued to stare in the direction of the two that were separated, feeling as if there was a rock in his stomach.

Riku sighed, shaking his head and trying to insist again. "We might not have that kind of _time_ , Axel," he pressed. "Please just at least think about going with us tomorrow. With you, we might be able to actually—"

"One person isn't going to make that much of a difference to your team," Axel objected. He hesitated, a pause filling the air in between them. Then the Nobody shook his head, his expression heavy as he amended: "Unless that person was Sora."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It was dark now. Aerith had gotten Kairi all patched up, and Yuffie had taken the girl back home with her to rest before the next day. Leon had followed, and Cid had left for his home too. Donald and Goofy were to do a sweep of Hollow Bastian before retiring themselves, and Riku had resolved to go along with them. Riku had seemed irate by the time he had left, pausing as he went out the door in order to turn and shoot Axel a look. The Nobody had brushed it off by trying to tell la joke to Sora, but the boy didn't even bat an eye. Axel had lingered for a while more, having a half-hearted conversation with Sora. Then he was forced to leave as well, finding that it was much too late to stay.

As he was leaving, Sora asked the question he had been holding. Aerith had gone upstairs, promising she would be back later to give Sora another dose of pain medication. They were the only ones in the room, for Sora still had no idea where Merlin was. "Axel…" Predictably, he stopped at once, one foot out the door as he looked back. He gave a small hum to show that he was listening. Sora hesitated, studying the blankets for a moment. Then he asked in a mumble: "Are you going with them, now?"

For a moment, it was silent. Then: "I'll try as hard as I can not to."

"Why?"

He considered the question. Then offered: "I want to stay here. Make sure you get better. And…you know…have someone other than Aerith breathing down your neck." His tone was light— he was meaning it to be a joke. Just like the others, it fell flat.

Sora's voice was just as quiet as he mumbled: "You should go."

Axel's face fell. He blinked and stepped back inside, looking confused. "…With them, you mean?"

Sora nodded, still staring down. "Yeah. Why not? Don't let me stop you."

"You're not _stopping_ me, Sora. I just…want to make sure that—"

"I'll be fine," he interrupted.

There was a long pause. Axel seemed lost, asking slowly: "…Are you…are you sure?"

Sora nodded once.

"I don't want to get with them, Sora. I _want_ to stay here."

"Don't worry about it. You go help everyone else."

Axel glanced out the door. "I don't…" He didn't seem to know what to say.

"I'm asking you to," Sora said simply. His voice was unreadable.

Axel waited a few seconds more, as if to give Sora room to take it all back. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and relented cautiously after a while. "Alright then, I guess." Another gap came, but Sora did not use it to backtrack. "Alright," Axel repeated. "I can go out with them tomorrow if that's what you want me to do." Sora nodded. Brighter, Axel asked: "Do you want to send a message with me? Something to say to your friends? I'm sure that they're worried about you." Sora shook his head. "You sure?" A nod. Axel repeated the motion, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he made back for the door again. "Alright. I'll just…tell them you said hi."

"'Night," Sora said, going to lay down as he turned his back to his friend.

Axel seemed pained. He stared at Sora for a heartbeat more before he turned, starting out and closing the door behind him. "…Goodnight," he called after, not sure at all whether or not Sora was even listening.

He didn't reply, so it was impossible to tell.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Sora turned, his eyes dragging over the wall on the opposite side of the room. It was exactly midnight. He lay in bed still, staring up at the ceiling again and fighting off the sheet of exhaustion that was draped heavily over him. The pain medicine that Aerith gave to him hadn't helped either; he was left groggy and feeling slightly sick. But he stayed resolute. He knew what he was doing. He had made the decision as soon as he saw Kairi rush in tonight, and it was only furthered by what had happened with Axel.

He remembered what Roxas had said, knowing that if Roxas agreed, then there had to be truth in what he was going to do. He had to keep in mind what was really important— he had to go help his friends in the other worlds. He couldn't leave them to their own resources. It would be hard; he wasn't unrealistic enough to assume that it would be easy. But he just couldn't stay here. He just couldn't.

Sora turned, willing his keyblade into his hands and throwing off his sheets. He hoisted himself shakily up to his feet, leaning on his weapon and stumbling forward. He glanced over to the other door, trying to hear whether or not Aerith was still up. But he couldn't hear anything. He turned and made for the kitchen, tracking down the notebook and pen that Aerith used to draft up shopping lists. Leaning against the counter to keep upright, he uncapped the pen and did his best to explain. Though…he knew that he could not make anyone understand, even if he was given the opportunity to write a novel.

'Don't worry. I'm fine. I just can't stay here anymore. I can't make you understand, and I don't expect you too. I just don't you to come after me and drag me back here. I have to leave. I have to keep in mind what's really important.'

It wasn't long in any sense of the word. He did not say where he was going, or what he would do when he got there. But it did what it was meant to: it asked that nobody drag him back. Because they would be dragging him back kicking and screaming, he would promise that. He felt sick here, he felt angry, he felt scared. He felt things that he didn't want to feel. He wanted to feel like he used to. He wanted to feel happy and triumphant. He wanted so much more than these people were willing to give him. So he had no other choice.

He knew where the Gummi Ship was— it's where it was always parked when they would come to Hollow Bastian. Even with his limp, he would be able to make it; he just had to make sure that he was not caught. If someone had the faintest sense of suspicion, then that was the end of it. He wouldn't even be able to get a second of time away from someone's watchful eye. He had to be able to do this. He had no other choice, if he wanted to get out of this suffocation.

He opened the door and stepped outside, immediately slapped with the cold weather. He gritted his teeth together, his eyes narrowing with determination as he turned and closed the door behind him with a silent click. He paused a moment more, just in case Aerith caught wind of what he was doing. But she didn't come. He turned and scanned the area for anyone who had hung back. But the place was empty. He was all alone, and for the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of what he used to be. He felt excited, and ready to go. In the back of his mind, he felt stupid as well, and idiotic. But it was smothered by the sense of long-craved happiness.

He turned, limping heavily but with a slightly quicker stride as he made for the town.

He had no idea where he was going to go. But it was better than here.

He was going to help. It was what was really important. Even Roxas had said so.

For forever now, it seemed, he had been craving normalcy.

And he was going to get it— even if it killed him.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: I also meant to thank someone for a VERY sweet review! They were anonymous so I wasn't able to do it privately. Thank you Kia! I read your review about five times haha. I'm SO glad you like it so far, and I hope you continue to do so!

I hope you all do! The plot is going to start picking up now, obviously! I'm so excited to write everything that's coming up! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! If you see any glaring typos too, I would be grateful to hear them so I may go back and fix any errors. As well as anything else I could possibly amend!


	5. Chapter 5

Have you ever had a moment of startling clarity that your idea, seemingly so impressive and well-constructed at first, was now very, very, very, very, very, very, _very_ idiotic? Before, you thought that you could handle it. You'd look at something stupid like juggling twenty-seven chainsaws at once and you'd tilt your head to the side and muse: "Well sure, that sounds like a breeze! It'd be stupid of me _not_ to do this!" And then a little bit after you toss the first chainsaw, you kind realize that maybe throwing around weapons from horror movies shouldn't be on your list of 'Top Ten Things to Do.'

Sora had that awakening about fifteen minutes into his plan. If you could even manage to call it that, though. In the back of his mind, the wiser part of himself knew that this wasn't an organized strategy in the slightest. He had no idea where he was going, and he had no idea what he was going to do whenever he got there. All he _did_ know was that he was already starting off in a slow progression. He tried to hurry; he didn't know how long it would be before anyone noticed he was gone. But he could hardly walk— he was still forced to use his keyblade as a makeshift crutch.

His leg was still in horrible condition. It wasn't broken; he figured that Merlin would have notified him of such a thing if it really was true. But going by the pain that was burning his limb alive, he figured it couldn't be very far off. He couldn't remember for the life of him what had happened to it to get it this way. Did he fall? Was it inflicted? By a Heartless, or by an Organization Member? He couldn't remember. Everything was a blur now, when he looked back on it. Just a mess of fighting and pain and terror. It was like trying to look through a clouded window and make sense of things.

He tried to drag his thoughts back to himself before he could spiral out of control. Once he started to think back to the darker things, it was a hard effort to try and get back to himself. Recently, his mind was like a cobweb; he kept getting stuck and tangled in its depths, and it was always hard to shake free once he found himself inside. In the effort to change his train of thought, Sora attempted to be more objective. It didn't matter what had happened to his leg; using his keyblade to help him walk like this was bad. If a Heartless snuck up on him, he wasn't sure how well he would be able to retaliate. The last time he had actually fought was…

Was…

He came to a stop, swaying on his legs, which were already trembling in pain and exhaustion. At the thought, he stared down blankly at the pavement underneath him, his eyes wider than they normally were. It was still early in the morning. The sun was still not out yet, and the air was frosty and cold. Yet the shiver that lanced down Sora's spine had nothing to do with the frigid temperature. He was standing in the square of Hollow Bastian, almost having reached the Gummi Ship, which was an accomplishment in itself. Despite everything, he had been struggling stubbornly on path, refusing to hesitate to take a breather. But as soon as his thought became snagged again, he had come to an unexpected halt.

Let's see who you really are…

 _Let's see how well you fight now, huh?_

 _Maybe this could have turned out differently if you weren't so annoying…_

 _I want you to_ watch _!_

Sora jerked, a pained noise leaking out from the back of this throat. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to will it all away. The sound of pouring rain, the agony that had wrapped around every inch of him as the point of a lance dug deep through his chest, over and over and over again. He lifted up his good arm, drawing a hand shakily through his hair as he tried to steady his breathing. He couldn't let it get out of control. As soon as his breathing got out of hand, it was all too easy for everything else to follow suit. Sora knew that by now. He just had to make sure his breathing was steady— in and out. Then he could calm down and get back to what he was doing.

He did so, thankfully, but it was only after about a few minutes. He took the memories and thoughts and shoved them down, like he was swallowing back something awful and trying not to gag on it. He lifted his head and tried to speed the process along by reminding him of what Roxas had said. How the other had encouraged him to do this very thing. Roxas had never been wrong before, Sora knew. He had been the one to encourage Sora to trust Axel in the first place, and because of that, he was free of the Organization and their plot. In fact, the entire group was wiped out now because Sora had trusted Roxas. He had done a lot of things following his advice or recommendation.

So why should this be any different? He had told Sora to focus on what really mattered, and that was the other worlds— the balance of good and evil. If Sora didn't manage this, the swarm of Heartless could potentially take over. All of his friends, all of life itself, would be in danger. It was _vital_ that he get out and help in any way that he could; or at least do more than just laying around Merlin's house. If Roxas gave him the clearance on doing this, Sora was sure that the Nobody knew it would be for the best. That it would all work out. And of course it would. Sora would make sure of it. He wouldn't leave any other option.

It would be fine. It had to be.

He shook himself, locking his jaw backwards and struggling on. He put one foot shakily in front of the other, his grip on his keyblade awkward and tight. He started to drag himself up the steps to the alcove where Goofy and Donald typically kept the Gummi Ship. Hopefully it would still be there. If it wasn't, then Sora was going to have quite a few problems. He would probably scream— it had already taken so much time and effort to get over here.

But thankfully, there didn't seem to be a need for it. It was still there in the back alley, where they always stored it before leaving. It looked just the same as it always did, and, coming to a stop in front of the vehicle, Sora's face fell a little bit. He remembered all the times he had rushed into the Gummi Ship with Donald and Goofy— how many fights they'd sailed to on this thing. How, when Sora was younger, he would always try and run faster than Donald in the hopes that he would be able to pilot it for once. Donald always beat him, of course; but it had always been fun to trip the duck and try to shove him aside.

Sometimes Goofy used to bring it all back up a few times now, just to see the smug grin crawl over Sora's face, who was now the unquestioned captain. At the thought, Sora's expression wilted. The last time he had flown this, he hadn't known a single thing. He hadn't known that he was flying himself directly into a trap— an ambush. One that would change everything.

He blinked a few times. Shifted and adjusted his hold on his weapon so that he could continue to use it as leverage. He hobbled the rest of the way over to the ship and let himself inside. It was a painful process to hoist himself up. By the time he found his way over his chair, he pretty much collapsed into it, his face creased and written over in extreme pain.

He sat still for a heartbeat more, concentrating on breathing through the waves of pain and sickness that crowded his head. He didn't think that he would hurt this bad. Taking things a little bit at a time when he was practicing walking, he hadn't even felt a fraction of this. He guessed it was because he had taken it one step at time. It had taken him much longer than it should have to get all the way here. Putting himself through so much exertion at once was probably the main reason he felt so awful.

Maybe…maybe this wasn't a good idea. He still had time— he could go back to Merlin now. Maybe he could get rid of the evidence of any leave at all. Or if they were already wise to his departure, maybe he could explain himself and then apologize. Because this was a stupid idea, wasn't it? If he was so winded and sickened already, how could he hope to accomplish anything else? What match would he be against the Heartless?

But he remembered the isolated loneliness that hung over Merlin's home. He remembered the different kind of smile that Axel always gave him now— an expression of pity, not friendship. He remembered how the others had pretty much forgotten about him, now that they had everything else to focus on. They had left the day before, not even glancing his way. He was being forgotten; he was being cast aside, now that he didn't have any purpose to him. He had always said that his friends were his power— the reason he kept on going.

Now that he seemed to be losing all of his friends…he didn't know what else to do.

He had to keep going. This was beyond him, now.

He shook his head, resolute. He leaned over and pressed one of the buttons nearest to him. Self-consciously, he straightened up in his seat, ignoring the pain that gripped at his chest as a result. He coughed to clear his throat, and pasted a smile on his face. It felt artificial to him, but by this point, he was well-aware of the fact that he was good at faking grins now. He'd seen the relief in Aerith's eyes whenever he did so. The thought was a sad one; lying and deception wasn't anything he liked, let alone used to be good at. One time when he was younger, his mom asked him if he'd eaten a cookie without asking, and he had immediately burst into tears. It was almost sad how easily lying came to him now. White lies, of course, but they were lies all the same.

The boy tried to comfort himself. Once he did this, everything would fix itself. All of this would stop.

On the screen to his right, an image popped to life. A familiar one, and one so normal, Sora's smile immediately became a little less generated. Chip and Dale were on the other end, Dale looking like he was hunched over in the corner, inspecting one of the gears that looked like it was turning a little slower than the rest. Chip was stationed at the forefront, responding immediately to the incoming call, as was per their instructions. A salute was armed and ready from the chipmunk, though at the sight of Sora, he immediately jerked violently in shock.

His eyes flew wide, and his jaw fell a little slack. "S-Sora!?" he yelped, astonished by the mere sight of the boy. Sora grinned in response, and Chip hopped a little, as if he was unable to contain himself. Beckoned by the name, Dale leapt away from the gear, scurrying over and running into the other rodent blatantly. Chip stumbled, and Dale climbed on top of him in the process, his eyes twin moons as he got a look at the source of the bemusement.

A grin split his face open wide. "Sora!" he gushed. "It's really you! I was wondering when you would traipse on over here! Long time, no see!"

Sora chuckled softly. They were just like they used to be. They weren't like the others; they were still acting goofy and silly— like nothing had happened. Maybe it was because they weren't very close to Sora to begin with. Maybe it was because, as ship mechanics, they weren't all that involved in the situation or what transpired as everyone else was. Or maybe it was some other reason that he couldn't think of at the moment. Whatever it was, it was a relief to see that they were consistent and normal. They weren't looking at him like he was a dying animal, and their smiles hold nothing but intense eagerness. If being back at Merlin's house was like being in the desert, then Sora just found himself plunging into crisp, clear water.

Chip straightened, flipping his friend off of his back with an irritable glare. He turned a few seconds later, bright once more as he clapped his hands together eagerly. "What are you doing here so early, Sora?" he asked, Sora's smile wavering a little at the question. Usually when they stayed the night somewhere, unless there was a truly pressing manner, they slept in a little bit. Mostly it was Goofy's fault— he was never all that helpful first thing in the morning. It took a while for him to kick himself into gear. But now Sora was here before the sun even was. He dreaded a follow-up question, but it came nonetheless. "And where's the other two? Goofy and Donald? Are they coming?"

"Uh— uh…no, no, they're not," he mumbled, stuttering over his words with a mental flinch. "They…they asked me to go on ahead. I'm supposed to check something out. You know…like, scout the area out." Again, the voice in the back of his head reminded him that he had no idea what to do. He didn't even know what this supposed 'area' was. He could only hope that they would bite this whole thing and manage to swallow it down. Guiltily, he admitted to himself that these two never really were bright in the past. At least, not in the social sense. Maybe he could slip by good enough. "I'm supposed to…you know, solve whatever problems I come across. Call for backup, if I…if I need it."

Dale tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled. "But…but you guys never split up!"

Sora's expression grew a little pinched. "We're trying this system out," he explained in an anxious tone. "It's easier. With the Heartless spreading out the way they are, we need to be a little bit more efficient, you know?" He hesitated and then added: "If you could just send me somewhere where I might be needed, then I would appreciate it. We're kind of trying to be on a schedule right now." The sun was starting to come out now. His heart was picking up a little bit more. Aerith usually came down to check on him early in the morning. It wouldn't take her long at all to find the note. He had to leave before anyone came out looking for him. "Just…anywhere with Heartless activity."

Dale seemed eager. "Alright!" he jumped up and down, like he usually did whenever he was just too excited to sit still. Which was usually the case with the red-nosed chipmunk. Sometimes Sora wondered how Chip, such a polar opposite in terms of personality, could put up with him every hour of every day. Though he guessed the same could be said for him and Donald. Yet the thought came along with a sense of sorrow, and he was forced to shove even that one aside too. Dale went on, completely oblivious to Sora's thoughts. "We're back in action, can you believe it, Chip!? Finally we've got Sora behind the wheel again! Isn't it exciting?!"

Dale rushed off to set to work prepping the Gummi Ship for takeoff. Chip lingered though, his head still cocked to the left as he studied Sora. The boy's smile fell as he realized the extra attention, and before he could ty and divert attention, Chip spoke up. "Are you sure you're alright, Sora?" He hesitated. The chipmunk's eyes flickered down to Sora's arm, which had managed to stay in view of the camera. It was still splintered to his chest, healing as fast as a bone possibly could— which was at the speed of a turtle. A turtle with no legs that could only wiggle ahead. He still had bandages on his face, and around the edge of his head. Obviously Chip was not ignorant enough to look past those features. Dale on the other hand… "Are you sure you should be doing this, Sora?" Chip asked. "You still look really hurt…"

Sora's expression soured as soon as the words came through the speaker. The brief happiness he'd derived from the simplicity of their company was stamped away on impact. It seemed like he couldn't go five minutes without being reminded that he was different now— that he was weak and injured and…well, just _different_. Holding back the groan that was choking at the back of his throat, Sora took in a slow breath instead. Though when he spoke next, his voice was dry and flat. "Chip, if you could just please get the ship going, I would really appreciate it."

Chip wilted a little bit. Sora never made a habit out of being mean or coarse. At the most, in the past, Sora would make incoherent noises of anger for about five seconds, then let out a loose sigh, and then go right back into acting peppy, as if nothing happened at all. But now his eyes were narrowed, and he was looking at Chip in an impatient fashion. Chip waited a few seconds, as if he was expecting Sora to discard the slight hiccup like he usually did. But it didn't happen. Sora just continued to stare blankly his way. Eventually, Chip nodded once. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Sure. Okay."

Sora watched as Chip turned and headed after Dale to help prep the ship. He felt the engines start to rev and power on. The keybearer grimaced at the noise, biting down on his lower lip with a feeling of trepidation. The sun was climbing higher and higher in the sky with each passing second, it seemed. He was running out of time faster than he could even comprehend. He was glad that Chip and Dale were able to clear the ship for lift off where they were— Sora felt like if it was up to him, his leaving would take even _longer_.

He turned with this and strapped himself into the seat. He grimaced as he was forced to twist and contort himself in a sharper way than he was willing to. His forehead was creased in pain, and once he was finished, he sat back, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the way his head was spinning. He should have looted through the cabinets and stolen all the pain medication from Merlin's house to take along with him. He would rather take about ten pills and fall into a state of half-awareness than sit here and try to breathe through this agony. It was ridiculous.

He felt the ship start to rock, and looking out the window, Sora realized that they were taking off of the ground. He adjusted where his bad arm was underneath the seatbelt, and he used his other hand to hang on as tight as he could. He knew that if he was jarred or rammed against something, then it would only make things worse. And he hadn't even been sure that such a thing was possible at this point. Chip came back onto the monitor, smiling again, despite the off-handed way Sora had spoken to him. "Are you ready, Sora?" he squeaked. He gave the boy another salute. "Prepare for takeoff!"

He didn't reply. He was currently cringing, gritting his teeth and preparing himself for what would happen next. And sure enough, he had reason to be wary. The Gummi Ship blasted off from the pavement of Hollow Bastian, leaving it behind in what seemed like a millisecond as it swooped up towards the sky. Sora fumbled, his good arm fumbling off from the chair to lunge at the controls. The very least he could do was keep it level, if he already made Chip and Dale do the work of taking off. Sora used to think that this specific connection between them and Gummi Ship was pointless. But at least now he realized what good it could bring.

Just as he had predicted, the takeoff didn't do wonders for him. His chest ached and burned as he was pressed back into his seat, and the boy's head spun with nausea from the force was hung over him. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to set everything aside one final time. This would probably be the worst part out of it all. If he could get through this, then everything else would be a breeze in comparison. Or so he could only hope; he couldn't be a hundred percent sure on the idea. All he could do was bite down on his lower lip and suffer through it until it would be over. It wouldn't take too long, at least he was aware of that much. It never did take long with how fast the ship could go.

It took about a minute at the very most. With the expertise of Chip and Dale, the ship gradually slowed and evened itself out. Sora opened his eyes slowly, bit by bit, as if afraid of what he would see. And, truthfully, he wasn't all that sure in the first place. He hadn't been up among the stars in what seemed like forever. A sad thought, when he loved it so much. He recalled his first experience in the Gummi Ship— he had nearly gotten sick, he remembered. Not just because of the novelty of space travel, but he had been so scared back then too. He didn't have a clue what was going on. But once the ship straightened out, and once he got his bearings together, all of his fear was washed away and replaced with awe and happiness at the sight that was now before him.

How could he not instantly love such a sight? The swirls of light and cosmos, that seemed to be every kind of color at once. When he'd looked up at the stars when he was back on Destiny Island, he had thought of space as just black and white. All there was were sheets of darkness broken only by pinpricks of light here and there, when they managed to appear. But looking at it firsthand, especially for the first time, it was clear that he couldn't have been more wrong. Space was all _kinds_ of colors. Pinks and purples and greens and oranges. Every spectrum of the rainbow, and it seemed to be right here.

Clichéd as it might sound at first, such a sight was enough to quell Sora's nerves in the very beginning of it all. That's why he loved travelling through it so much. It was why whenever they were finished helping out as much as they could in a world, Sora was the first to pester the others along, rearing and itching to get back into the sky. Seeing everything in front of him reminded him of a somewhat simpler time, just before he got tangled up in everything. But it also reminded him of the start of something new. Something that, as soon as he saw the expanse before him, he knew would be amazing. And that he knew he could do, if given the chance and the means.

Seeing it all now, after he had thought so many times that he would never live to glimpse it again, brought back a rush of memories and emotions. His throat closed in on itself, swelling shut as his eyesight became blurred and unfocused with water. He wanted to go back. That was all he wanted to do. He just wanted to go _back_. Could he really be blamed for that? He was just trying to get through all this, and, to him, this was the best way. But how had to gotten all the way to this? How had he gotten to this point? Injured and sick and alone on a Gummi Ship not knowing where he was going but knowing it would be better than the place he had been.

He was supposed to be better than this.

"Sora?" At Chip's voice, Sora coughed in the back of his throat. The boy ducked his head and reached up with his good arm to rub at his eyes, sniffing. He righted himself as best he could, swallowing hard as he tried to hide the fact that his eyes were now glazed over. It was harder than usual. But Chip's attention was on him solely, and he realized that he couldn't look any worse for wear than he already had. Who knew what Chip would do— he might contact Donald and Goofy, and then this whole thing would go down in flames. Even now, the chipmunk was eyeing him carefully. Well— more careful than he normally did. "Where are you planning on going?"

Sora sniffed again, tearing his gaze away from the scenery and looking back down at the control panel in front of him. He coughed again, cringing at the pain that it caused his chest. "Oh, uhm…" He paused, looking back up to look through the worlds in front of him. Again, he had been starting to think that he would not be given the chance to lay eyes on them again, much less visit him. As much pain as he was in, he could not stifle the sense of joy he got at seeing everything again. He sniffed and shook his head, his eyes flickering from one option to another. "W-What's been having the most activity, recently?" he asked. "I-I just need to go somewhere I'm needed."

"Oh…hmm…" Chip seemed caught off-guard. He had never been asked such a question before. But Sora just wasn't prepared like he normally was. He was out of practice. He had no idea what he was supposed to do from this point on. What did he normally do? Even he couldn't answer that— not right now, anyway. Thankfully, after a pause, Chip seemed to come to a conclusion. "Well, I suppose that we could find a place. Everyone else was starting to get pretty worried about Agrabah." He hesitated and then added: "But then again…they were planning on going there as a team. They never, uh…they never mentioned that you were going to go scouting. So…I'm not sure whether or not they were just going to wait for you, or go like they said, or…"

"Oh." Sora bit down on his lower lip, looking over in the direction of the indicated world. His mind scattered for a second, and he tried to track down what he should do. He shouldn't go where they were planning, he knew. Sora wasn't sure what they would do when they found out that that Sora had left. But maybe there was an off chance that they would go out regardless; after all, their rejection of him was part of the reason he was out here in the first place. If such a thing turned out to be true, he shouldn't go anywhere near it. He could be found, couldn't he? And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Alright, yeah," he said, nodding as he took to looking back at what was in front of him. "I'm supposed to…go to The Land of Dragons." That was pretty far away, right? Far enough, at least. It had a few other worlds that acted as buffers in case anyone went out looking for him. He couldn't get much farther away. And if he could recall where the others had gone, he was pretty sure one of their visits had already been to The Land of Dragons. That would mean that at least a smidge of the Heartless would be gone in comparison to a place they hadn't gotten to go to yet. It would be good for Sora to start there. At least then he could kind of ease into things.

Chip contemplated this. But at the end of the day, Sora was pretty much in charge to do whatever he wanted now. "That seems like a good idea!" he threw in regardless, ever the one to be eager to agree. Both he and Dale pretty much were stationed to assist them with the Gummi Ship at times, and then spend the rest of those times offering advice or moral support. Chip offered Sora yet another salute. "He'll be rooting for you back here, Sora!" His eyes flicked over the boy's state one last time, but all he said next was a quick: "It's good to have you back!"

Sora smiled at this. And the grin only grew as Dale mimicked his partner's gesture, standing straight and tall as if Sora was some kind of prince. He didn't offer any verbal words— he just nodded his head vigorously. Sora looked down, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he leaned over to take hold of the controls. He started to angle the ship over towards the world were Mulan and her friends resided. He hadn't seen her in forever. He had to wonder whether or not she even knew of what had happened. Maybe she didn't. Maybe he would luck out and be able to find someone who might actually treat him normally.

The thought was a little too hopeful for his recent tastes. But he couldn't help but feel a small spread of warmth as he started towards the world. This was the right choice, he knew it. And as he asserted this to himself, the boy sat up a little bit straighter, forcing himself to get used to the pain that came after. In a soft mumble, he replied: "It's kind of good to _be_ back."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

She called Yuffie first. She had no idea what else to do. What were you supposed to do when something like this happened!? They hadn't _planned_ for this! She called her best friend on instinct, knowing that she would help without a second thought or a skeptical look. However, she was far too panicked to make herself be understood. She was pacing and stumbling in the process, her eyes wide and her heart thudding so hard against her chest, she thought that it might burst. A finger was curling over and over in her hair, and her gaze kept flickering over to the bed in the corner, as if to check that she wasn't just going crazy. But no.

He was gone.

Her voice was intelligible. Her mind seemed to be ten steps ahead of what her voice could manage. When Yuffie answered, she sounded tired and slurred. Aerith had probably woken her up— it was still very early. It was only about 5:30 right now. But it wasn't her concern. The very second that Yuffie picked up the phone, Aerith was blabbering and rushing, probably talking way too loud. She wasn't known to lose control. Out of everyone in the group, she was often the most stable present. But now she could barely hold herself together. "Yuffie he's— I can't— I just came downstairs and— I have no idea what to, Merlin is still gone and—"

"Wait, what!?" Despite the time, as soon as Aerith started to ramble and rave, Yuffie was jerked into attention. She was instantly aware, and Aerith could have sworn that she could hear scrambling on the other end. "Aerith, slow down. What's wrong? Did something happen? Where's Sora?" Kairi was staying with Yuffie, Aerith recalled. In the background on the other end, she could hear another voice pipe up, sounding concerned. When Aerith couldn't bring herself to speak again, choking on her own words, Yuffie pressed on, her voice harder and more pressuring. "Aerith. What is happening?" she asked, her voice almost barbed. "Where is Sora? What happened?"

"He's gone," she choked out, closing her eyes tightly in a flinch. "He's gone, Yuffie. I came down here and he wasn't here, and there's this note here, but I don't understand it. He said he left but what if he didn't?" Her fears bubbled up, and her voice cracked as she shook her head. "Yuffie, what if he was taken by someone else? What if he's gone, and this whole thing is going to happen all over again?" Tears beaded at her eyes, and she stopped pacing, suddenly rooting in spot. "He's going to be in danger, and what if he's in pain? He's so weak with his injuries, and they're nowhere near healed, and I can't find Merlin, and nobody else is here to help me and I don't know what to do, and—"

"Shhh. Calm down, calm down," Yuffie said soothingly. Though underneath the primary level of comfort Yuffie was trying to show to her disconcerted friend, there was a stiffness that showed she too was struggling to overcome a rising sense of panic. "Alright, alright, just— just wait there. I'll get the others and we'll come and try to sort everything out. You won't have to handle it alone, and I'm sure the others will agree with me too. We'll be right there, don't worry. Okay? Just…just wait for us."

There was a click, signaling that Yuffie had hung up on her. Aerith frowned and lowered the phone from her ear reluctantly. She resigned herself to waiting, her heart in her throat. If Sora had been here, Aerith would usually take this time in the morning to try and coax him to eat something. Usually her efforts were for naught, and she would end up having to wait until lunch before Sora caved enough to eat a few bites. But now the house was completely silent. She did not utter a word, because there was nobody there to reply to her, or even listen.

She looked down at the note that was now slightly crumpled in her grip. It didn't make sense. It just didn't make sense. None of it did. Would Sora really do this? Endanger himself with his injuries the way that they were? Where was he even going? Nothing in the note indicated where he might have fled to. At the very bottom of the note, he had written that he needed to remember what was really important. But none of that made any sense! _He_ was what was most important! His safety, his health— that was what was most important to everyone here! Had they really made him believe that anything else was _before_ him? Was that why he left this way? A harsh sense of guilt choked her around the windpipe.

What kind of friends were they if they let him believe that _he_ wasn't the most important thing?

And if he didn't think he was the most important, then what _did_ he think was above him?

The others came a mere ten minutes after the call. They rushed in all at once, their faces all having a sort of frozen terror to them. Goofy, Donald, Riku, Cid, Leon, Yuffie, Axel— everyone was pushing and shoving to be the first over the threshold. Aerith snapped to attention, her eyes flying wide at the arrival. Perhaps she should have tried to clear her head enough to try and explain a little bit more. But then again, this could be a situation to warrant such a reaction.

Aerith knew in the back of her mind that her worrying was unfounded. Sora couldn't be taken again for the same reason. She had been there when Organization had been wiped out; she knew along with everyone in this room that there was no danger from anyone there. Sora couldn't be taken by _ghosts_. But what if he had been taken by an accomplice? It was true that Maleficent was dead too, but there could be others that were ruled by darkness in their hearts. What if it was someone else nobody else was aware of yet? Was this nightmare starting all over again? This tension, and this torture— Sora was already so damaged in more than ways than one from the ordeal he had gone through. He wouldn't be able to withstand a second time over.

Riku stormed in, nearly shoving Axel aside as he made a beeline for Aerith. The girl stiffened at the approach, and the dark expression that was pasted over his face. His voice was clipped and rigid when he spoke. "Where is he? What happened?" His voice was so flat, Aerith was wondering whether or not they could even be considered questions. He was basically spitting them out.

She grimaced away, feeling the gazes of her friends burning her skin. "I don't know," she all but whimpered. "I just came downstairs and he wasn't here. I found this note in his place." She handed it over to Riku, who snatched it at once. His eyes skimmed over the words, however few there were. His forehead creased, and Aerith watched him sullenly. She waited for a reaction, but it was delayed— probably due to shock. She turned and looked at the others. She was at a loss of what to do. "He didn't say where he was going, if he was going anywhere…"

"What else would he be planning?" Axel asked, Riku shooting him a glare at the question.

Aerith winced. "I-I don't know…he might not have…"

"What do you mean?" Goofy asked, his eyes widening slowly. "Do you think he was—?"

Leon's hands curled tightly at his sides. Already, he seemed to be getting enraged. Aerith had to wonder where his target of anger was. "He _didn't_ get taken again," the swordsman snarled. "He's too smart for that." Despite the comforting words, nobody was soothed. Aerith included. She could see that others were exchanging tense looks. Those that hadn't already entertained the idea that Sora could be stolen away from them a second time, now looked even more frightened and concerned. They were exchanging glances, alarmed and dreadful. As if sensing this, Leon reiterated. "And besides; if anyone took Sora, they wouldn't leave a note like this…would they?"

Nobody spoke. They just looked around, uncertain.

Kairi was standing a ways away from the rest of the group, her hands wringing together in nervousness and fear. Her blue eyes were wide and stricken. Aerith zeroed in on her, and she found that her heart immediately twisted at the sight of her. Her cheeks were flushed, and every so often, she would reach up and brush at her eyes, trying not to let any tears fall pointedly. Aerith's eyebrows knitted together in concern. She started to take a step closer, when the redhead spoke up and caused her to stop immediately.

"I shouldn't have joined you guys," Kairi said, her arms jerking down to her sides again as her jaw locked. Her lower lip was trembling violently, her eyes suddenly seeming much bluer with the tears that were building up there. "I should have realized what I was doing. What it probably…what it probably seemed like to him. How could I have been so stupid?" She ducked her head down, reaching up and rubbing at her eyes with a grimace. "He must have thought that he wasn't needed anymore, and it was because—"

"Stop." Kairi sighed through her nose as Riku's voice cut her off. Her friend had stepped forward, his eyes slightly narrowed. He shook his head, waving his hand in a dismissive way. "We're not going to do this. No more of this— not again. Do you all understand me?" Nobody spoke up. Kairi's face fell, and she looked down at the ground, her expression heavy and weighted down in deep sorrow and regret. Axel's expression, in contrast, seemed to sharpen down into a look of anger. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes flashing as Riku went on, the other's voice just as sharp. "We're not going to sit through all of this paranoia again. We're not going to blame ourselves, or each other. We're not going to fight, and we're not going to fall apart like last time. You get it?"

Still, there was no response, so he just shook his head and went on regardless. "We're going to _find him._ That's it. We're going to go after him before he can get any farther, we're going to bring him home, we're going to make sure that he's safe, and we're going to fix this whole thing before it can get any more out of control than it already is." His voice sounded more than confident, but the look in his eyes, to Aerith anyway, seemed to look anything but. Nevertheless, he turned to indicate the people around him, sinking into the role of a leader pretty much without thinking. "We'll split up. Yuffie and Leon go together. Donald and Goofy, you'll be together. Aerith and Cid can go in a pair, and then me and Kairi. We'll all split between the worlds and keep one another safe looking where Sora went."

He blinked, seeming to realize something a little bit too late. He turned and looked over at Axel, who just seemed to be getting more and more irritated by the minute. "Oh…" Axel raised his eyebrows in a dramatically-expectant way, tension stifling the distance between the two of them. After what seemed like forever, Riku shrugged. "You'll be fine to go on your own, right?" he asked. "You're able to take care of yourself."

"Sure," Axel muttered, his voice stiff. "Whatever."

Riku held his gaze a few heartbeats more. Then he ducked away with a small mutter of something that Axel couldn't decipher. "Alright then. Let's split up, then. Each take a world, and then we can contact each other with progress. Try to be quick— you all saw what the Heartless looked like out there. Sora probably won't last very long." His eyes darkened once he said this, worry and biting concern digging into him. Kairi grimaced again, her hands clenching together.

It was enough to bring the others to attention. Yuffie grabbed Leon's hand tightly, turning and pulling him out of the house. Cid and Aerith exchanged a glance and followed closely after. Donald and Goofy departed, and Kairi, anxious to be on her way after her friend, broke out into a sprint close behind. Riku started after. But not before Axel could speak up and cause him to stop mid-step. "You didn't listen to me." Riku hesitated, but didn't turn around to face him. Axel's eyes narrowed even more. "You didn't listen to what I said— how important it was." His hands fisted at his sides. "And now look at what's happening."

Riku stayed still. Just staring.

Eventually he shook his head. Walked the rest of the way out the door. Leaving Axel to glare holes into his back.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It was freezing. He should have thought more about where he wanted to go, though if he was being truthful, he would admit to himself that he was willing to go anywhere as long as it wasn't in Hollow Bastian. He had unthinkingly told Chip and Dale that he was already assigned to go here— a little too hasty of a proclamation, but once he had said it, there was no taking it back. At least he was far away from where his friends were planning to go. Hopefully that would mean he could escape being caught for as long as he could. He could hardly walk; he didn't have a chance of outrunning his friends should one of them try to chase him down.

He thought of things on the bright side. He had been stuck inside of Merlin's cottage for what felt like forever. Now, here he was, breathing in crisp, fresh air. It was cold, that was for sure. Snow was reaching up past his ankles, and it certainly wasn't making walking any easier. But the snow was numbing his pain a little bit. He plodded along stubbornly, his head ducked down against the wind and his bad leg leaving a deep track through the drifts he went through.

He hugged himself tightly, his jaw moving uncontrollably as his teeth chattered. It was always this cold here in The Land of Dragons. At first he wasn't sure why he was just now noticing it. Usually, when he had come here with Donald and Goofy, he didn't even bat an eye at the weather. Short sleeves, and the climate wasn't even second on his list of concerns. But that was probably the problem, he realized shortly after the thought occurred to him. He had been distracted then. He had been with Donald and Goofy and Mulan, and he had been so wrapped up in the prospect of helping his friends. He'd been too busy and excited to focus on the cold.

Now, he had no idea what he was doing. He was all alone; his only company was his thoughts, which were hardly helpful anymore. Every step was a struggle with his leg the way it was, and he was really starting to hate snow, despite how much he had loved it before. Now it was just another ridiculous obstacle in his way. Wishing he had brought a coat, but wishing more that he had a specific plan in mind, he kept on. He wasn't sure where he could go to find Mulan. He had started in the encampment, but it had been deserted. So he followed the trail that the military usually patrolled, but that yielded just as much results. So he resigned himself to doubling back and heading for the Emperor's Palace instead. Maybe she was there.

He didn't know.

All that he did know for sure was that he saw the problem now.

He saw what everyone else was scared about. What was causing all of this horror.

There were Heartless everywhere. More so than usual. Sora knew that Heartless were an issue— they always were. Typically they would leap right in his path as he walked, blocking his way and demanding to be dealt with. But that wasn't the case anymore. They were still scattered; they weren't over every single inch of the world, like ants. But where they were grouped, there was far more than Sora was used to seeing at once. Well…of course, it was more than he was used to seeing at one time in a specific world. Seeing what was in front of him now, the sight that he was met with at the encampment, and by the small stream— it reminded him more of the room he had been forced into with the Organization. There were tens of them, all prowling as if they were looking for something.

Each time Sora saw their telltale shadows, he immediately ducked away, trying his best to hide. He skirted around groups as best he could, and tried to conceal himself. He could tell that the Heartless were instantly aware of his being there— he could hear their hisses of recognition and suspicion. However, most of them moved on. And Sora could manage to take out a few with a few well-aimed magic spells. But overall, it just made his journey even slower. He couldn't swing his keyblade with as much force as he usually used to knock aside the things that stood in his way. His chest would rip and tear in agony with such a sharp movement.

He didn't really have the choice to do anything but magic. At least until he got in the swing of things, he added stubbornly.

But whenever that was, it needed to hurry up. Sora couldn't last long like this. Sooner or later, he was bound to run into someone. If not one of his friends, then maybe someone who would accidentally give word to his friends. And with all these Heartless, he was going at the speed limit of a turtle. He needed to find Mulan; he knew that much. He could team up with her, and maybe Shang, as well. Them as a team— they would be able to handle the Heartless issue here. With Mulan's added boost, he could perform a few more attacks that would do more damage than he could do by himself.

He would have to lean on friends for the support he needed to help and be effective. But first he had to _find_ them.

No sooner did he think that, though, did he stiffen at a voice echoing over the wind. "Sora!"

He turned, recognizing the voice at once as a smile started to spread over his face. However, it soon stretched into an expression of shock and terror. A wave of Heartless were barreling towards him— a mass that Sora had somehow been oblivious enough to miss. At his side, Sora's arm twitched, as if he was going to try and react defensively. But he was frozen, and it wasn't from the cold. The white snow around him, the black mass of Heartless that were shooting his way…it was as if he was right back in the Organization's castle. Like he was back in that room, and he was going to stay there for hours on end. It was too much of a shock, and he just stared open-mouthed as his fate met him.

…Maybe this was a bad idea…

Abruptly, a wave of fire rushed through the Heartless, incinerating them on the spot. They vanished sooner than they had showed up, Sora holding his arm up in front of him to shield himself away from the sudden heat. However good it felt, he was wary of his hair burning off. Once it died away, and once silence settled itself back over the scenery, Sora dropped his arm again and readied his smile. Seeing the culprit of the fire, he was seized with a sudden very acute sense of warmth. "Hey!" he called, trying to play off the fact that he had just been a deer in headlights.

Mulan was jogging closer, Mushu perched on her shoulder like a parrot would be on a pirate. The dragon's nose was smoking after the strong wave of fire, and he wore a grin that looked far too big on his little face. Mulan on the other hand, looked worried. She skidded to a stop about a few feet in front of Sora, straightening as her eyebrows pulled closer. "Sora!?" she repeated, incredulous. "What are you doing here!? I haven't seen you in ages!" She leaned closer, her head tilting to the side. "There were a few rumors, but nobody knew exactly for sure…" Her eyes flickered over Sora— his bandages, and his bruises, and his broken arm. "You don't look so good…"

Sora tried to think of what he would normally say. In any normal time, and in any normal situation. As if these last few months hadn't happened at all. He cleared his throat, looking around pointedly. "Neither does this whole place," he replied, saving himself a little bit. Mulan didn't look comforted, but she didn't interrupt him when he went on. "I've never seen this many Heartless in one place, the way they are here. It's weird. And…how long has it been like this?"

Mulan deflated a little bit. "It's been a while…"

Sora mimicked her crestfallen expression. "What have you been doing?" he asked. "I tried finding the rest of the military; I couldn't find anyone. The camp was completely empty."

She nodded in a solemn fashion. "We've split up. Most of them have gone out to protect the local villages. But an elite squad went to protect the Emperor. As long as he's safe, then China will remain strong." She turned and looked down the path that Sora had been heading. "Is that where you were going? Have you come to help us?" She seemed halfway hopeful. As if she wasn't sure what to exactly think. In hindsight, Sora should have thought this through a bit more.

Saying he was there to help was like handing someone a piece of lettuce and saying: "Please enjoy your salad." He wasn't much to look at. He hardly looked fit for battle, anyway.

"Yes, actually I have," Sora said anyway, trying not to let the analogy sting or offend him. "I saw the growing activity of Heartless, and I decided that staying away would be stupid of me." He offered her a smile. "I need to be here with my friends, helping them fight. Right? Friends stick together to the end."

Mulan still seemed doubtful, but Sora's words had their intended effect on her, it seemed. She brightened and clasped her hands together, a much more grateful look coming over her face in comparison to the dubious one from before. "You're always right, Sora! Of course. I, and all of China, would be honored for your help once more." She offered him a bow, and Sora tried not to look too embarrassed over it. Once she straightened, her face was alight with a newfound sense of positivity. "Well? We should get going, then! Everyone will be so relieved to see you!" Sora started to grin, when Mulan paused to debate one last time. "You can fight?" she tried to clarify, looking over his arm and his leg.

Sora swallowed hard. But his voice sounded clear enough when he replied. "Sure! I wiped out a bunch of those guys on my way here." Five was a bunch, right? Six? "I don't need both arms. And magic can go a long way— you'd be surprised." Hastily, he added on to solidify it: "And trust me, I can fight just as well. I promise."

"If you're sure," Mulan mused. "You've never lied to me before, Sora."

His chest felt heavy. But he smiled all the same. "And I'm not going to start now."

This was the final nail in the coffin. It seemed to push her back into the clear, and she nodded once. "Right, then!" she laughed. "It seems as though China has finally managed to catch a break with your arrival!" She turned and broke into a run, Sora's eyes widening as he realized yet another flaw to this plan. He was getting more cons than he was pros, by this point. Running. He could fall, yes. Wipe out, of course. He'd done it like seven times so far. But running? Nope.

But he didn't have a choice. He turned, ready to make a fool of himself in the process of attempting to keep up. And probably hurt about ten times more. Stubbornness can really take an individual to glorious heights in this modern era. However, before he could turn all the way around, something caught his eye and made him wrench back. At first, he thought it was another Heartless. Black and near the bottom of the mountain range he had come from, he started to prepare himself to fight. He couldn't very well lose to a singular Heartless now. Not when Mulan was just beginning to buy his story.

But it wasn't a Heartless. It took a few seconds for Sora to realize what it was he was looking a. Because he couldn't believe it at first. Didn't want to, was a better thought, probably. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear what must have been wrong vision. But nothing changed. Across from him, quite a few ways away, was a cloaked figure. A black cloaked figure, with low-hanging, silver beads that clacked in the slight breeze. Their hands were folded behind them, their hood hiding their face from view.

Sora's throat swelled shut, and at his side, his hand began to tremble and shake. He felt that same kind of rooting panic. He was frozen— made of ice. Blue eyes stretched wide and seemed to hollow out with memories much better off forgotten. The person made no move to walk closer, but he might as well have been running at Sora for all the boy's terror. What was this? Was it Axel? Or was it something else? Something told him that if it was Axel, then he would have said something by now. This was just…it was just staring at him. Looking straight through him, almost.

Sora stumbled backwards, his mouth opening just slightly as he tried to choke something coherent out. "A-A-Axel?" he stammered, his voice coming out as a small rasp. The person did not move. They just continued to stare at him. They were like a statue. Willing his keyblade into his hand, Sora jerked his arm up, pointing the weapon towards him as threateningly as he possibly could. But it was very clearly shaking in his unsteady grip. "S-Stay back," he warned. He thought that his voice would be raised into a shout, but it was nothing more than a whisper. He narrowed his eyes, staggering back again. "Don't come near me…"

"Sora?"

He jerked, turning around wildly. Mulan had stopped short, a few yards away now. She seemed confused, gesturing down the snowy path. "We're going to the Emperor's…right?" she prompted. "It's this way." She seemed to register the panic and fear that was on her friend's face. She grew concerned and started to loop back over, studying him carefully. "Sora, are you alright?" she inquired. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He turned back to the figure, taking another step away. But then he halted as well, his eyes widening to be ten times their normal size.

There was nobody there. Nobody at all. There weren't even footprints in the snow where they had been standing. It was just…nothing.

Sora inhaled sharply, stumbling a bit as his head spun in confusion. He turned this way and that, trying to see where they had gone. Still, he had absolutely nothing. _What!?_ He whirled around to face Mulan, ignoring the pain that shot up his sides from the sharp motion. Mulan seemed caught off-guard by the quickness too as she jumped slightly. Ignoring that too, Sora asked: "Did you see that person? That person in the cloak? They were just there, just a second ago, did you see!?"

"A person in a cloak?" she repeated, sounding flabbergasted. An anxious expression crawled over her features. "No…no, I didn't see anything like that, Sora. I just saw you looking at the mountain. You seemed…a little frightened." He still seemed so, and she looked at him a little closer. The worry he had managed to stave off until now was slowly coming back.

Sora shook his head. "What? No! There was a man! I-I was looking at a man! He was right there!" He jabbed a finger in the direction. "He was right there, did you not see him? He was staring at me!"

Mulan grimaced. She seemed almost apologetic, as if she did not want to contradict him. But contradict him, she did. "Sora, there was nothing there…" Sora blinked, his face falling in confusion and anxiousness as he turned to look back at the empty spot. Absolutely nothing. No footprints, no marks, no anything. "You were just looking up at the mountain. Or at least…that's what it looked like to me…

"Sora…?"

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A/N: I'm not dead, isn't it wonderful? Although very nearly considering I stayed up late on a school night to get this out to you all CX. I hope it's worth the wait. I'm super excited for the chapters that are to come. It's gonna pick up about twenty degrees! lol

If some of you haven't noticed I have four stories going on at the same time. Maybe a little bit unwise on my part, but with my schedule it's super hard to update now. Therefore I am strictly going by review counts to even it out. Once a chapter gets ten reviews that will be my priority fic to update. If a chapter doesn't get ten reviews, I will update, but the update will be much slower in comparison to what it could have been. Like with this story— I didn't quite get enough reviews ((there was a mix-up in the number count kinda so…)) so it's been a little while.

So anyway! I hope I can find time to update again soon and I would love to know your thoughts concerning the plot so far! What do you think's going on? ;)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: We reached ten reviews! As promised, here I am! School makes it really really hard to update, so I hope you all are patient and understanding with me. Please know that I'm still working on it. And I'm still sticking to the plan— after ten reviews I work harder and harder to get out a chapter. But as you can probably tell, I don't have a lot of time. If anyone sees a typo or a flaw in this, I would be more than happy to go back and revise it!

But I love where I'm planning this story to go! And I'm very excited ESPECIALLY for these next two chapters coming up! It'll be AWESOME.

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Pain. You can ignore it for a while— you can choose to pretend that it isn't there. 'Mind over matter' was the common saying that described that, wasn't it? If you didn't focus on something, then it would almost be like it did not exist. That's what people told themselves was possible, anyway. But you can't ignore something forever. The longer he tried to look past the agony, the more and more apparent it grew. The stabbing in his chest only got sharper, and every step caused more and more strain to his body, which was already beginning to scream and beg for rest.

He really shouldn't be doing this. That was the logical thought that was taking forever to register to him. Every other step was stumbling, and every other stride was shorter than the last. Water burned his eyes as they filled over from the piercing sensations. He went some time remaining discreet— a feat in itself, considering he probably should have collapsed about thirty minutes ago. Despite this fact, though, Sora kept plodding on. He walked behind Mulan, taking comfort in the fact that at least he could not be seen. For a while, she did not notice him and the suffering he was put through in order to keep up with her pace.

But there were still Heartless. The world was absolutely crawling with them. The level of activity was more than alarming. Now he could at least see what everyone was so worried about. They could hardly go five steps with anything happening— without Heartless springing up in front of them, or coming up over the horizon. It was like a swarm. An infestation. Seeing them the way they were, it was like Sora had been forced back into that white room, crammed wall-to-wall with the dark beings.

It was much more than awful.

Mulan, thankfully, was just as good a fighter as she was when Sora had helped her the first time. She, along with walls of flames from Mushu, was able to handle the majority of them. She was almost a blur, flashing this way and that, and taking Heartless down nearly as soon as they appeared. If anything, she was more skilled at taking them down than she had been the first time. She was faster in her blows, and stronger nearly tenfold. The thought occurred to him, and it took a second to make the connection.

She'd had practice, he realized. She was so much better at fighting because they must have been trying their best to make do with saving themselves. The notion was almost as painful to face as Sora's physical agony was. His friends had been going on like this without any kind of help. How long ago had this started? Sora didn't think he knew for sure.

But he did know that up until this point, he had not been there. He hadn't been able to help. If he hadn't been taken and then injured, and if he'd been doing his job like he was supposed to, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten so far out of hand. Instead, he'd been near comatose on a bed in Merlin's home. He hadn't been able to rush to his friends' sides. The only way he was here now was because he had left without anyone's permission. And even now, he could hardly put one foot in front of the other without having to hold back yelps of pain or discomfort.

He'd let it get like this.

This was all his fault.

There were a lot of strong motivators. But hands-down, the best motivator of all would have to be guilt. Guilt was the reason that kept Sora moving as fast as he possibly could. It was the reason that he forced his good arm to lash out with his keyblade. He wasn't nearly as strong as he used to be. At first, he was doing better than he thought he would. He could deliver blows that knocked aside the things that leapt at him, and he even managed a few swipes that killed the Heartless on contact.

But before too long, even guilt could not help him. All of his limbs seemed to get heavier, and every time he swung himself forward in the attempt to fight, his chest and stomach screeched in torture. He even walked slower. Mulan had to have noticed the change. He was lagging farther and farther behind, and every time that they encountered another wave of Heartless, Sora had no choice but to take less and less in his sweep. Mulan had to pick up the slack that he was unable to carry.

By the time they were nearing the Palace, Sora was beginning to realize his doubts more clearly. He was a stubborn person— that much he had made clear about a million times over. It was the reason that he was here in the first place, wasn't it? He could go for ages with something, and tell himself that it was the correct thing to do. The fact that he was starting to think that it would have been better for him to stay back at Merlin's was enough to show just how much pain and exhaustion he was forcing himself to shoulder.

His steps were short— he could barely get one foot in front of the other, anymore. His arms were burning, and his very bones were starting to feel bruised from head to toe. His chest was on fire, his stab wounds starting to feel as though lances were burying back inside of the injuries, further into each one the longer he persisted. Sora was trembling violently, and because of this, his keyblade skidded slightly every time he used it as a makeshift cane.

He felt like he was dying.

Near the steps of the Palace, they had just finished off another clump of Heartless. Through shaking vision, Sora had counted more than twenty. Silence came after Mulan ended the existence of the last Heartless, a silence that came across as more than relieving to Sora, who was now gasping for the smallest of breaths. His head was spinning from lack of oxygen, a deep stitch jamming itself into his side that made it hard to take in the proper amount.

He surveyed the area around him, making sure that the last of the Heartless were gone. They'd better be— he didn't have the strength to take on any more. As soon as the realization dawned on him, he sighed weakly, finding himself slumping to the side as his expression drooped. He nearly fell over and collapsed, though he managed to catch himself. "Right." Even his voice was different— coming out ragged and almost hoarse. "Right…we— we're going to find the Emperor…right?" he asked in a pant. Suddenly he couldn't even remember what they had set out to do. "We should…he'll be…he'll be inside…right?" he gasped. Again, he had to catch himself as his legs threatened to buckle.

Mulan turned back to him, having twisted to look the direction they had been going this entire time. They were nearly to their destination— they would go to the Emperor and ask him what they would be best recommended to go in terms of the services they could apply. She had been fixated on her mission so far, yet her focus and concentration was broken once she looked back to her friend. Instead, her expression wilted. Her eyebrows pulled together in that telltale sign of concern, and she tilted her head to the side.

"Sora?" she asked, her voice soft. He perked instantly at the call, and Mulan watched as he took a special effort to force himself to straighten and turn her way. His eyes seemed bright. It wasn't a trait that was uncommon for him…not _technically_. But usually, whenever his eyes were lit up, they were gleaming with happiness or triumph or mischief. Now, they were more raw and hollow than anything else. There was a glimmer of determination, of course. But it was in the very far reaches of his gaze. Just meet his stare seemed to cause Mulan pain. Or at the very least, it was disheartening.

"Yeah?" Sora replied, his voice coming out in the form of a sigh, thanks to his harsh breathing.

She frowned. "You're…are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft as she turned to pry again. She had tried it before, when they had first run into each other. He'd managed to reassure her then, but now she was beginning to have doubts. He looked awful— in every sense of the word. He'd seemed alright before, but he seemed to be on a slippery slope that was anything but gradual. "You look like you need a rest. Would you like to lay down for a while?" They didn't have time to do anything like that. But she wasn't about to put anything over the health of someone who had stuck beside her like Sora had. Just seeing him in pain was enough to inflict the same sort of feeling onto her.

Sora blinked rapidly. He pulled backwards, looking confused at the question. "I'm— no, no, I'm perfectly fine," he said, his voice cracking a little bit as if to automatically prove whatever he was saying wrong. "I don't need to do anything. I just…I just need to help you." He turned and coughed to the side, grimacing deeply, as if the action caused him pain. But he shook himself and then turned to flash her a grin that he hoped would come across as reassuring. "So…so let's go! We need to get things done, don't we?"

Mulan seem dubious, though. "Well, yes…" She seemed almost lost. And why shouldn't she be? Here was her friend who had helped her greatly to save China once more. Now, China was in even worse danger, and here her friend was, promising to rescue them all again. The temptation to believe and trust in him came easily to her, of course. He wouldn't lie to her. But…just by looking at him, shouldn't she be able to see that anything like that should be impossible? And shouldn't she try to help him, who has helped her so much in the past?

Which was more important? More…pressing?

It was a hard thing to know, if you could even know it in the first place.

She kept pressing, noticing everything about Sora that he was probably attempting to hide. The fact that he winced every time he shifted his weight to the side, or the fact that his breathing was starting to sound clenched and wheezing. He wasn't in a good state at all. His right arm was bandaged into a tight sling that was pressed against his chest, and there was a bandage going around his head as well. The way he was standing on his bad leg was making Mulan want to look away— it couldn't be comfortable or healthy at all. So she stuck with her resolve as best she could. "Sora, I don't think you're well enough to fight…" she murmured gently, trying not to sound insulting or harsh. That was the last thing she wanted to do. "Maybe you should just stay here. I can go and get help, maybe…"

Something flashed in Sora's eyes at the offer. Something different, that she hadn't really seen in him before. He looked almost…angry. Sora never looked angry; not from something like this. She'd seen him get defensive over friends. Back at camp, when they had first met, Yao had said something against Mulan— that she was a horrible fighter, and would be better off going home. Sora had responded by puffing up, his kind blue eyes being washed over in hot rage as he leapt up off the ground and proceeded to yell at the soldier in the middle of the clearing. It was things like that in which Mulan had known Sora to immediately sour or become cross.

But at her expression of compassion, Sora surprisingly seemed to react in a similar manner. Mulan deflated uncertainly at this, the girl feeling confused even before he opened his mouth. And sure enough, after he did so, her puzzlement only increased tenfold. "I'm fine, Mulan," he almost growled. He sounded frustrated, though this was the first time she had stopped long enough to take in his condition and offer assistance. "I don't need help. I fought my way here, haven't I?"

She bit down on her lower lip. That seemed to be the problem. He had been taking everything slower and slower the more they went on. He was being run down— she could see it now. She didn't want to make things even worse. And it seemed like that was the only direction it could _possibly_ go. "Sora, I'm just not sure…" She looked him up and down. He was nearly at a diagonal, with the way he was leaning against his weapon. "I think you've helped us enough with those Heartless." The lie burned her tongue on the way out, for she knew without a doubt that her people were in strife and danger. But she pushed it out regardless. "You don't have to keeping coming along with me, if you'd rather stop. You've done enough so far."

"I _haven't_ done enough." Something was different with his voice too, Mulan was realizing. It was flatter than usual. But at the same time, it seemed to hold more stress to it as well. It sounded more fragile. Though she wasn't even sure if that was the right word for it. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I can keep going— I can keep fighting." It was like a mantra, the way he said this. "I came out here to help. And that's what I'm going to do. I'm with you."

Mulan's face fell. She tilted her head to the side, a frown weighing over her features. "Sora, where are Donald and Goofy?" she asked quietly. She had kept herself from asking before, figuring that the boy would have a reason for their not being there. After all, the three were like a well-oiled machine— in order to work at their best, they typically had to be together. But now she was starting to grow more and more worried. At the look of Sora's injuries, and with the way that things were unfolding between them, she was starting to wonder whether or not something was wrong. Had something happened? Were the other two too injured to fight, like Sora seemed to be? With the amount of Heartless activity, it wouldn't be too much of a leap to suspect such a thing.

Or could they possibly have…?

Sora was immediately defensive. The response was enough to reassure her that something was definitely off. "They're just not with me," he said shortly, purposefully not delving into pretty much any detail whatsoever. When Mulan just stared blankly at him, he moved forward to add just as insatiably: "We decided we would get more done if we split up."

Mulan was trusting, but she was also smart. Sometimes the first trait interfered with the second, like now, but she was starting to be able to spot a lie when it was handed to her. At her sides, her fingers curled inwards, balling her hands into fists instead. Her voice was a little bit more injured as she went on. "You've never split up before," she said, her eyes rounding out a little. "You always stick together, and you always have one another's backs. That was something you taught me the first time we were together, Sora. And the lesson has been with me ever since. I don't believe that you would ever leave them. And I don't believe that they would ever leave you."

Sora's reply took place as soon as she was finished speaking. He was almost close to interrupting her. And to the girl's surprise and shock, his voice was raised into a sharp yell. " _Well they did_!" he shouted, his eyes filling with hurt as he took to glare at her. Mulan had taken a small step backwards with the change in the boy's tone. It was clear by the look on her face that she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Sora blinked a few times, his face falling as he seemed to realize what he had let happen. He cleared his throat, turning instead to look down at the ground. There was a heavy beat of silence before Sora spoke, his words a mere mumble now. "…I mean…we did split up," he amended alternatively.

There was a long stretch of silence now. Longer than the first pause by nearly ten times as much. Mulan just stared over at Sora, who seemed to be trying very hard not to look up and meet the other's gaze. Her hands unclenched and she shifted instead to put them on her hips. She waited at first, wanting to see whether or not Sora would cave and look up at her. When she was disappointed with this brief hope, she had to resort to breaking the silence herself.

"Sora, what did you see?" she asked, noticing how Sora cringed uncomfortably at the question. Again, she waited, and again, she tried to have hope in the fact that Sora would bring himself forward enough to respond willingly. He did not. Her friend continued to stare down at the ground, as if he had suddenly gone mute and deaf at the same time. Still, she was persistent. "Sora, what did you see back at the mountain? Something is bothering you, and I only wish to help. Just like you've helped me in the past." She noticed how he tensed up even more at this. Feeling a pang in her chest, she said: "You saw something— I know you did. I just want to know what."

Sora still didn't reply. His expression was weighted and heavy. This wasn't like him at all. Nothing was like him. Mulan was having a hard time believing in the fact that this wasn't just some other completely different person in front of her. Because it simply had to be right? It was the best explanation. It certainly wasn't Sora. She started to say something else. Maybe she could get him to open up if she just tried a little bit more— a little bit harder. But unfortunately, she was not given the chance to.

Mushu was still perked up on her shoulder, where he had been ever since she had left her village this morning. He had been silent up until this point; this was a surprise, considering he usually could not be persuaded to shut up. But he took initiative now, and he did so very liberally. His eyes narrowed into a glare, and he turned to look from Mulan to Sora, who didn't even look up when the dragon began to speak. "Mulan, stop pestering him!" he snapped, sounding far more than impatient with the matter. "If he said he's fine, then you've gotta leave him alone! And besides— he's right! We've got things to do! People to save! You're just stayin' here shootin' the breeze while people are dying! Get your head out of the clouds!"

Only then did Sora look up again. Though the way he looked at Mulan was more hesitant, as if he was clinging to a hope that she would listen to her friend. She was still hesitant, and she made such a fact quite clear. A frown was heavy on her face, and she stared at Sora a few moments more, expectant and waiting for him to finally confide in her. But he did not, and she wasn't all that surprised. She just sighed and closed her eyes briefly. She told herself that things would be fine and that she should stop worrying. Just because Sora was acting a little strange didn't mean she had to turn on him like she was.

When she opened her eyes again, she recovered her attitude. She tilted her head and offered both Sora and Mushu a large grin. "Alright," she caved, her voice significantly brighter. "I'll stop pestering you," she relented. "If you've got something to say, you'll say it. And if things start to get too much for you, you'll say it. I trust you completely." Sora smiled at this, the expression reaching his eyes only a little bit. But this expression was more genuine than it had been in a while. At least she wasn't looking down on him like the others had back at Merlin's house.

"Right," he said, giving her a nod. "I will."

She laughed. "Then let's go," she said with an affirmative nod. "We can ask the Emperor what he would prefer us to do. It's hard to find where the actual source of all of this is with the number of Heartless that are here." Sora agreed silently. He adjusted his hold on his keyblade and moved to start walking again, trying to focus on making his strides larger. Not so…baby-stepped.

Mulan thought of dashing over and helping him— maybe it would be easier if she held him up on his other side and they walked like that together. But she held herself back, not wanting to irritate or insult him further. She just turned and kept walking the way they had been going before they had been interrupted by the Heartless. Though she started off quick-stepped, when she glanced over her shoulder, she realized that Sora was unable to keep up. She slowed down to match his pace instead, and hastily adopted the habit of checking back with him to make sure that he did not fall behind or…well, just fall completely.

He really didn't look good at all. He looked _horrible_.

And despite herself and the faith that she had in her friend, Mulan was starting to feel a pit of dread open up in the pit of her stomach.

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Panic. The feeling that hit you like a punch to the gut and demanded to be acknowledged, as it just grew and multiplied on top of itself. Kairi was having a hard time breathing around the sensation. Her hands were shaking with nervous tremors, and she was standing awkwardly— shifting her weight from one foot to another in rapid succession. They were so slow. Yuffie and Leon had rushed away the second that their search plans had been established. Even Aerith and Cid were long gone. She was standing outside Merlin's house, starting to adopt the habit of pacing when Riku was beginning to take way too long to walk out the door.

They had to get _going_. _Now_. She was just starting to draw up the resolve to go back in and drag Riku out. She didn't have the habit of losing her temper very often, but this was _Sora_ they were talking about. They had to find him before…before…he…

She came to a stop as the thought registered. Her face fell, and she felt her eyes start to burn as they filled up with water. Her lower lip began to tremble, and she had to clasp her hands together, to try and stop their shaking from getting any worse. Where could he have gone? Had they really pushed him into this, or was it something else entirely? Which one was the better option between the two?

Could she have prevented any of this? She remembered the keyblade that Riku had given her one evening after Sora had fallen asleep. She hadn't understood what the gesture meant at first. She had been entertaining the idea of sleeping on the couch just to stay close to Sora, when Riku had approached her and hinted to her that she should get some rest, because she would need it for the next day. At first, when she had been given the weapon, she had been honored and energized. And why wouldn't she feel like that? Finally she was being given the opportunity to be out with her friends; she could help the cause instead of hinder it with her presence.

She had continued to feel bright and optimistic. Until she had come back to Merlin's house the next day, ready to go out and fight with everyone else. Then she had seen Sora's face, from where he was splayed out awkwardly on the couch in front of the television. She had seen what his reaction was when she had pulled out her new keyblade. It had been the effort to try and reassure Sora that she would be fine. But she had seen the shift in his expression. The way he deflated.

And from then on, it only got worse. Sora talked less and less with her. When he looked at her, he seemed to have a shadow of _something_ in the far reaches of his gaze. This was her friend, and here she was feeling farther and farther apart from him with every passing day. She had been the cause of this decline. So she certainly had to be the cause of why he was suddenly gone now. And that was just if his absence was with his will or consent. She didn't even want to think of what the terms and conditions would be if he was taken again.

If he had been taken again…and if their relationship had ended in such a way as this…

Thankfully enough, her thoughts were interrupted before they could wander too far down the darkened path. Riku walked out of the door, closely followed by Donald and Goofy, and then Axel. Kairi jumped in surprise, jarred out of her mental reverie. She turned to look anxiously over to the group, instantly apprehensive at the looks on their faces. Though to be honest, she wasn't sure that she was much better off. "What's wrong?" she asked, tense as she looked from one person to the other.

Goofy shot her a small smile, though it was weary and much less eager than it usually was.

Donald seemed to be in the same boat that Kairi was. He was hopping from one foot to the other, looking as though he would be much happier dashing off right then. Axel's expression was angered, like it had been ever since the news of Sora's disappearance had been delivered. His green eyes went from each person collected there, but he kept silent. It was Riku who replied to her. "We know where he is."

Kairi blinked, shocked. "Y-You do?" she squeaked. She was stunned, reeling as she took a small step closer to them. "W-Well, where is he!? Is he okay? How did you find out? Why are you all just standing around? We've got to go find him!"

"Goofy and Donald contacted Chip and Dale— they help manage the Gummi Ship and they figured that they might have known where Sora was going and what he was doing," Riku explained. "Sure enough, they saw him. Early this morning— way before any of us would have been up. He fed them some story about how we were all splitting up now. A stupid lie, but it was one that they bought. He went to The Land of Dragons. From there we have no idea. They said they didn't see him afterwards, so he's still got to be there."

"Still?" Kairi asked. Her eyes widened, rounding out in a sense of fear and concern. "T-That was hours ago, though!" she exclaimed. More than just a few hours. If he left before the sun was up, then what was happening now? It was near noon now. In the condition that Sora was in at the moment, Kairi could only picture him laying somewhere bleeding out. The thought was enough to sicken her thoroughly, and she shook her head in the attempt to clear it. "We've got to go find him! All of us! C'mon!"

"No," Riku said, his voice flat. Kairi jerked, her eyes narrowing angrily as she started to prepare a snap in reply. "No, we can't all go." Her face fell, as did the others'. But he went on before anyone could all him out on anything. "You're right, he's been there for a while. Too long, probably. Either he's hurt and in danger, or he's getting ready to move on to somewhere else. Either way, we need to be prepared to find him in both cases." His voice was quick, rushing through each syllable. He was just as worried and frantic to get to Sora's side. He was just better at hiding it than the rest of them were.

Riku turned to each person and started doling out orders. "Goofy, Donald, you two should go to Belle and Beast. Axel, you should take the Coliseum. Those are both worlds that are in close range to where he is now. Odds are, if he is wrapping it up there, he'll go to either one. Yuffie and Leon went on the other side of the map— Aerith and Cid did, too. We've got most of it handled if we go about it this way. Kairi and I can go to look for Sora in The Land of Dragons. All of us have to be prepared to find anything. Make sure you've got enough potions or magic. You'll need them."

Axel spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest. "Those didn't work last time," he said.

Riku twitched. He looked as though he wanted to say something in response— going by the recent history in between them, it wouldn't be anything good. Taking that into consideration, Kairi cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing. "We don't have time for this," she said, her voice flat. "No more fighting. We've just got to find Sora. We can yell at each other all we want after we go that." The others straightened at this, looking alarmed at the harsh tone of voice she adopted.

But she didn't care at this point. All she cared about was Sora. They had to find him, and now they had a destination in mind, and a plan to follow through on. If they were going to stick around and chitchat, then they would completely lose whatever head start they had. She had already screwed up this much; she wasn't inclined to add another situation to the list. So before anybody else could reply to her, she swung around on the toe of her foot, her hands clenching at her sides as she started to walk away. A simply symbolic gesture, since Riku's ability to manipulate portals was pretty much how they were planning on traveling.

But it did the trick. Riku glanced back at the three behind him, sighing through his nose as he turned to hurry after the girl. Donald and Goofy started to walk after, already starting to talk and plan with one another what they were going to do. Axel lingered, his features still narrowed into anger as he watched them leave. He didn't move for the longest time, his hands clenched at his sides. He waited until he was completely alone. Then he turned, scowling as he threw up a portal beside him, not even hesitating before he vanished into its slightly comforting envelope.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

They'd been sent back down to the village. Which meant that whatever distance they travelled in order to get to the Palace, they had to retrace in order to fulfill their goal. That would be just fine, if they had been given this task at any other point in time. But Sora was running out of energy. He couldn't keep going like this. He was dragging himself along, feeling like he was tied down by millions of hundred-pound weights. Pretty soon, whenever they encountered Heartless, he just stood still, watching with a pained and weary expression as Mulan was forced to take care of the lot of enemies in front of them.

On the bright side, the Emperor had decided to send them along with General Shang. He pretty much took Sora's place, his sword replacing the boy's keyblade. The older man didn't seem to notice this fact. Well— let him rephrase. Of course he probably noticed. After all, whenever Heartless sprang up in front of them, Sora might as well have fallen down to the ground and stayed motionless, for all the good that he was doing. He just stood and watched, pretty much using his keyblade to support all of his weight. Someone would have to be blind not to have noticed it.

But at least he didn't call Sora out on it.

Until, that is, they got to the village. By then, every crease on Sora's face was one of severe exhaustion and pain. Moving caused pain to wrap around his throat, which was sucking in breath after labored breath. Mulan was anxious to get to see those in the town and make sure they were alright. Around every corner, there could be Heartless. Someone could be injured, in danger, or worse.

But General Shang finally stopped and took the time to look back at Sora. It had been some time ago, but Shang remembered the boy specifically because he was such a good fighter. Amazingly well, taking into consideration that he appeared so meek and scrawny at first glance. "Are you alright, soldier?" he asked, sounding worried at the sight of what he'd become. "You look a little worse for wear…"

Mulan was wiser. "He's alright, Shang." Though she had her doubts over such herself, she knew that it was a losing battle to try and get sense into his mind. "We've got to keep going. We've lost enough time as it is. You heard the Emperor— they need us here."

Shang was doubtful. He shifted from glancing at Sora and his condition, to the condition of the village around them. It was completely empty. The streets were empty and the houses were shuttered. It was like a ghost town. Sora looked around, one eye closed in pain as he breathed heavily and in an uneven pattern. "It's…it's like a ghost town," he said, slightly surprised. Last time they were here, Sora and the others had gone through the town on their way back to the Gummi Ship. It had been bustling, and there had been people as far as the eye could see. People saying hello and having conversation, trying to sell things at markets, things like that. It had been fun and interesting. Sora could have stayed for hours, if Donald hadn't been so intent on leaving.

"This worries me," Mulan murmured, her face falling. She turned to look at Shang. "Where is everyone?"

Shang frowned, surveying the area. He seemed to be wracking his brain for what he could possibly say. He seemed to be at a loss. Before he could land on something that might be the slightest bit reassuring, he froze, tensing as his eyes widened in a certain kind of horror. Mulan and Sora both reacted at the change, whirling around to follow his gaze. Sora's stomach dropped to his feet— his legs nearly folded inwards at the sight that was now in front of them.

From around the corner of one of the houses, Heartless were crawling and scrabbling forward. A tide, like one that surged up onto a beach and knocked someone over with its force. Mulan gasped sharply, dropping into a fighting position as Mushu fluffed up defensively on her shoulder. Shang did the same, drawing his sword as his eyes narrowed into slits. Sora couldn't move at first, his mind clouding over as he stared dumbly at the flood in front of them.

"Sora!" Mulan yelled, without looking back at him. "Get ready!"

 _You are to kill every single Heartless you encounter once put into this room._

"…Yeah…" he rasped softly, pushing himself so that he could stand upright. The stance caused immense pain to wash over him— that was like a wave on a beach too, wasn't it? His bad leg screamed as he was forced to put weight on it, and his hand clenched tighter over the hilt of his weapon, as if to try and deliver the pain through to the weapon. He had to focus. _You will stay in this room until we decide you have made enough progress._ He swallowed hard, watching as Shang and Mulan started to rush for the swarm. They weren't even hesitating. He couldn't even move.

 _We told you that if you made a false move, we would kill your friends. And now here you are. And there is nobody to blame but yourself._

 _FOCUS._

He gritted his teeth tightly, forcing to scrounge up as much strength and determination as was humanly possible. He didn't have much left— it was like scraping for something at the bottom of a jar. But he forced himself to do it anyway. Just like he forced himself to rush forward as fast as possible, and just like he forced his good arm to drag his keyblade up into the air.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"It is _freezing._ " They just come out from the shadows of the portal – Kairi had demanded to be able to hold Riku's hand while passing through the darkness – and already goosebumps were spreading over her flesh. Her teeth started to chatter noisily, and she started to rub her arms in the attempt to try and help herself warm up. Snow was everywhere— it was covering her feet entirely, the ice a ring around her ankles. She tried to get herself into a harder spot of the snow— maybe then, she wouldn't sink underneath it. But the effort was moot; every part of the snow seemed to be too soft for safety.

She tried to ignore the details; they were trivial. Instead, she turned over to Riku. He had paced to the edge of the mountain, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the land that stretched out below. His eyes were crowded in thought. She was hesitant to try and cut through whatever he was going over in his mind. But eventually, the silence got to be too much. "Why are we standing around?" she asked softly, looking around in a sign of impatience. "Shouldn't we be going now?"

Riku didn't turn, but he replied soon enough. "If we can see where he is, then we can shave time off trying to find him," he said thoughtfully. "If we just blindly run this way and that way, we could miss him. Or find him too late."

Kairi's face fell. She blinked, swallowing hard. She walked awkwardly through the snow, plodding along through the deep drifts with a pinched expression. She came to a stop by her friend's side, glancing at him briefly before following his gaze. Her voice was quiet as she looked over the landscape. "It's too hard to see," she said in a mumble. Her eyes darkened over in sorrow. "We're too high up— it's impossible to tell where he could be." When Riku didn't reply, she paused and went so far as to add: "…Riku, there's no use. It's impossible."

"I know." The reply was hardly able to be heard over the wind.

She wilted at the tone of voice he used. She turned to look at him, her red hair following the breeze. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft and slightly congested. "You must…you must feel awful. About everything." Riku stirred, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He didn't say anything, so she went on as best she could, still watching him closely. "I'm…sure this isn't how you wanted to come back to us. With all of this happening…everyone being angry…Sora being hurt…and now this. It's a lot." Her heart constricted, and she looked back to what was below, trying to see whether or not she could spot her friend down there. Whether or not she could grasp whatever he had been thinking to get here. "And…it sucks. I just…want everything back the way it was."

"I'm starting to think that can never happen," Riku muttered back to her.

Kairi deflated. She tried to think of something that could reassure him.

But she couldn't.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He was doing it. Somehow, some way, he was managing it. He was taking down the Heartless that were coming towards him. He felt like he was one big injury, and that any second he was going to capsize. But he forced himself to keep moving. He had to. Shang and Mulan were like flashes, going every which way and taking out nearly five Heartless with his every one. It was painful. And before he had killed his eleventh Heartless, he was beginning to prefer the idea of unconsciousness over this.

But he was doing it. He was suffering through. He tried to gain determination and strength as he watched his blade reduce being of shadow to nothing but dust that faded away soon after. It was more than he thought he would be able to accomplish. It was more than probably _anybody_ thought he would be able to accomplish. He had to keep going. Keep fighting. Ignore the pain, the agony, the torture that came with just _moving_. That was all he had to do.

Because he was doing it.

Somehow, he was managing it.

He was managing…

He was…

He…

He slowed to a stop. His expression became numb, exhaustion taking over his features. He staggered, his legs shaking as they turned to spend all their energy holding him up rather than walk forward. His good arm fell to his side, his muscles burning and stinging as his keyblade became much too heavy to hold up. His head was spinning, and it was all he could go to remain upright. He could hear noises that sounded much too distant. Yells and Heartless screeches and sounds of fighting. It was like he was underwater, completely detached from the scene suddenly.

"…ra!" He roused slightly, trying to swallow back the nauseous feeling that was permeating his entire body. He realized his mental lapse, but no matter how much he tried to kick his mind back into functioning gear, it was like trying to move a brick wall. He was sluggish and messy. When he tried to move and look towards the voice, he stumbled, having to catch himself and cause another blossom of agony to slice through his chest. "..ra! L…out!" The shout— where was it coming from? Who was yelling? Why was his vision spotting over with black? Why couldn't he—

Something heavy collided with his back. A well-aimed slice from a Heartless. Sora had no time at all to try and catch himself; he could hardly even stand as it was. Completely limp like a ragdoll, he was tossed forward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud and skidding a good seven feet or so. The action was more than detrimental. Sora had thought he had been engrossed in pain before, yet it was nothing compared to what came after skidding on his stomach.

When he rolled to a stop, he didn't pick himself up. His blue eyes were wide, his pupils blown out in panic. His hands scrabbled at his chest, the boy letting out a soft screech of agony as his injuries stung and began to gouge at his skin. He'd torn them. He'd torn his stitches— right? He could hardly comprehend what was happening, the pain was too much. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could, trying to look past everything like he had been. But it was too much. It was too hard to do. There was too much on all sides. It was caving in, and he couldn't keep it from falling on top of him.

He tried to get himself up. But his torso was on fire, and it only got worse when he shifted. He just yelped, his body going into a spasm as he fell back onto the ground. Mulan saw her friend collapse and instantly killed the Heartless in front of her, whirling around and rushing over to him. Mushu stayed in the fight, blowing out fire that swept over the Heartless to leave noting in its wake. They'd been fighting for a long time now— nearly all of them were taken care of. Shang and Mushu could finish off the last of them without her.

She rushed over and fell into a crouch at Sora's side. "Sora!" she yelled, her voice clenched in shock and fright. Sora was limp, and he didn't rouse at her call. He just cringed deeply, his hands moving at his chest in a frantic manner that was also absent-minded. He was injured— he was very injured. Something was wrong; she had known that! She had known that and she'd let Sora lie to her like he did! She was an idiot! "Sora, what's wrong!?" she gasped, reaching over and trying to see how she could possibly help. _Could_ she do something? "What can I do? Tell me what hurts!"

Sora's face was creased over in agony. He was biting down on his own teeth so hard, that he was head was pulsating in pain. He was seizing, Mulan realizing with a panic that tears were working their way down his face. " _Sora_!" she yelled, her voice clenched. "Please talk to me! What's happening!?" Her eyes flickered down, flashing as she realized that Sora was still pulling at his own chest. He was trying to do something, but what…?

She leaned forward, trying to grab at his arms and put them back at his sides. But once she grabbed at him, she realized with a stab of horror that the back of her hands came away wet. The girl pulled back sharply, shell-shocked. It was blood. While she'd been trying to pull his arms back, her hands had brushed against his shirt. And now she realized that his shirt was slowly seeping through with red. He was bleeding. And he was bleeding fast.

" _Shang_!" she screamed, leaning over putting Sora onto his back. The snow below him was being dyed a bright scarlet, becoming less icy and starting to warm over grotesquely. What was wrong, what had happened!? " _Shang_!" She sounded like she in hysterics.

"Mushu, take those last few!" Shang yelled. Then he turned, rushing over and yelling a curse at the sight of Sora on the ground. "What happened!?"

"I-I don't know!" Mulan yelled, her eyes round and hollow as he looked at her friend, who was convulsing in pain by now. "I don't know! He got hit by a Heartless! What should we do!? He's bleeding everywhere!" She hesitated before leaning over, grabbing the edge of Sora's shirt, which was slowly getting hotter and darker, and she peeled it up just slightly, trying to see where the damage was. But she just gasped sharply, her fear increasing tenfold.

Where _wasn't_ the damage? Her friend's chest seemed to be a riddle of injuries and stitches. They were old wounds, she realized. Wounds that had stitched up and maintained before, that had now been ripped open. It was when he got hit— it must have been. The blow had shot him over the hard road that had been cleared of snow, and his stitches had torn open. Not all of them, but most of them. She pulled his shirt back down, hoping that it could maybe clot the blood until they came up with something. "What do we do!?" She asked wildly. "How do we help him!?"

"Pull him up off the snow." Shang's voice was hard and collected— he more practice staying calm than she did. He turned, putting his sword down and taking off his cape. Off to the side, Mushu was dealing the last few blows. Finally, the crowd of Heartless were gone. For today. "Pull up his torso." Mulan, realizing what he was trying to do, stood up and shuffled her hands underneath Sora's back. Her friend let out an earsplitting screech as she pulled him up, causing him to arch and his stomach to pull. She flinched, but held him up nonetheless.

Shang acted quickly. It was awkward, since he had to work around Mulan's hands. But after some difficulty, he managed to wrap his cape quite a few times around Sora's skinny frame. He made sure that it was tight, trying to help put pressure on the wounds. "They look fatal," he growled, his hands smeared in blood as he withdrew. Mulan set Sora down, looking at a loss of what to do. Thankfully, Shang was her better half— he was just as focused as he'd been during the Heartless battle. "He needs help. We need to find someone. Surely there's got to be a doctor here." He looked from side to side, but the place was still completely empty. "They must be hiding from the Heartless. We need to get them out."

Mulan wasted no time. She looked down at Sora, who was choking back violent screams and cries. He was shaking, which couldn't be helping the pain he was experiencing. "Help!" she shouted, turning and starting to rush through the village streets, yet anxious to leave Sora at the same time. " _Help! Is there a doctor!? We need help! Our friend needs help!_ "

She stopped, turning and looking back over her shoulder. Shang was bent over Sora, holding her one of her friend's hands in his own. "Can you look at me, Sora?" he was asking, trying to rouse a response from him other than constrained yells and heavy breathing. He was starting to grow weaker; any minute, he could probably pass out from the pain, or from the blood loss. "Sora, look at me. I'm going to need you to focus, soldier. Come on."

" _Help!_ " Mulan continued in vain. " _I need help! Our friend needs help! Please don't—_ " Her words ended in a sharp gasp. From the other end of the street, two people burst into view. It was a red-headed girl, and a man that seemed to be nearly a foot taller. They both seemed just as surprised to see her as she was them. She'd never seen them before— and she knew everyone. At least in this local village. Despite the fact she'd never encountered them in her life, she was immensely relieved to at least see someone respond to her. "Help us!" she begged, turning back to look at Sora. "Our friend is hurt!"

The taller of the two yelled a curse, loud enough for Mulan to hear where she stood. He and the girl beside him both broke into a sprint at the same exact time. Their speed and their expressions surprised Mulan. Were they friends of Sora's? They must be— they looked very out of place here. Relief surged through her, and se beckoned them hastily. "Come on!" she yelled, starting to double back to where Sora still was. "Shang!" she yelled. "Shang, I found help!"

Shang let go of Sora's hand. He blinked, turning and standing as he looked at the newcomers. "Who are they?" he asked.

Mulan looked back at the pair. Once they were close enough, one of them spoke up. It was the girl. Her blue eyes were huge with consternation. Tears were streaming down her face, and her voice was hysteric when she yelled. "What happened!?" she screamed, her voice grating against her throat painfully. "What happened!? Is he okay!?" It was evident that he wasn't. The snow around him was becoming much too red. It was bad, it was bad, it was—

" _Sora!_ "

Mulan whirled around, her eyes wide. What could possibly be happening now!? He couldn't have…he certainly didn't actually…!? No. He didn't die. It was the opposite. Once she'd turned and looked away, Sora had apparently forced himself to prop up on his elbow to see what was going on. His eyes had fallen on the arrivals, and through the red haze that was hanging over him, he could recognize who it was.

No.

Riku. Kairi, too. They were here— they had found him. They were planning on dragging him back. And he'd been doing so well _before_ this...

Frustration had burned underneath his skin, right alongside the agony that his ripped stitches were inflicting on him. The fact that he was incapacitated seemed clear by the amount of blood he was losing. The world had been spinning around him, and the cape around him got darker and heavier with blood. Crazed in pain, and lingering on the edge of unconsciousness, Sora had turned once Shang had looked away as well. He had forced himself up to his feet, putting every single pound he had onto his good leg, as his bad one refused to work.

The ground spun out from underneath him, and he fell over again with a yell. That was when Shang had cried out his name. It was when Mulan turned, and it was when shock floored her completely. "Sora!?" she yelled, turning and starting to rush back. "Sora, what are you doing!? Don't move! You're going to hurt yourself even more! Please don't!"

Shang reached out to grab at Sora, but he was halted in his surprise as Sora tried to get up a second time. Another dark stain bled through the cape, Sora holding his stomach and smearing his arms with red as he tried to struggle along. He was trying to hold himself together, almost, with the way his arms were locked around him. He made it five steps more, when his knees buckled again. He hit the ground with a thud, gagging as he fell back onto the road. It had been cleared of the thickest of snow, but there was still a layer that was there, which was the layer that was slowly changing to red.

Riku rushed forward and knocked Shang aside in his hurry. He knelt down and pulled Sora into his arms, restraining him from trying such a foolish attempt a second time over. Sora was gritting his teeth, only allowing his yells of pain to seep through this clenched barrier. Even as Riku gathered him close, Sora was trying to get away. His efforts were feeble and hardly noticeable, but they were there all the same. Riku's eyes were stretched wide; he felt blindsided. Was Sora really this anxious to get away!?

"Sora, _stop_!" he shouted, alarmed at the amount of blood. "Sora, stop moving! _Stop_!"

Kairi stood over Riku's shoulder, her expression stricken as she stared down at Sora in dismay and despair. She was silent. Just staring down at him.

Riku tightened his hold on Sora, who responded with a dull howl of pain. Kairi flinched away immediately, her own eyes beginning to burn over. She couldn't take much more of this. "We have to do something!" she gasped. "He's in so much pain!" Riku shifted ever so slightly, and Sora reacted with a shriek. She shook her head, biting down on her lower lip. Her voice was raising octaves higher, with distress. "We need to—"

She broke off, watching in shock as Sora suddenly went limp. He fell back, his head drooping to the side as his features unclenched. Kairi screeched, hands clapping over her mouth. "What's wrong!?" she asked. "Is he— he can't be—!?"

Riku gathered Sora up and shot to his feet. "He needs a doctor," he said. "We don't have time to go back to Merlin's. Not now." He turned to look at Mulan with a sense of desperation. "Take us to the nearest hospital— or anything you have. He needs help."

Mulan was too confused to reply. She just stared over at Sora. He could have passed for asleep, had it not been for the blood that was seeping through his clothes. Shang stepped forward, giving a tense nod. "There's a medical station in the Emperor's Palace," he said. "It's not too far away. And it'll give better medical care than anywhere else would." His eyes flickered down to Sora with a flash. "The Emperor will consider it an honor to help him. He's done so much for China before."

"Lead us." Riku's voice was flat. "We've got to hurry."

Shang nodded. He turned and grabbed Mulan's hand, the two of them turning to retrace their steps. They wasted no time before breaking into a run, and Riku and Kairi were not a second behind. Riku held Sora close to his chest protectively, not even registering the fact that blood was making his own clothes hot. He just had to focus on Sora. He turned and looked at Kairi, his jaw locked backwards and set. "Cover us with the others," he said, fearful of more Heartless. "We can't let Sora get even more injured."

She nodded, willing the keyblade into her hand. Though her focus was definitely more on Sora than it was looking out for Heartless. Riku did the same, turning and keeping a close eye on his friend as he ran as fast as he could carry the two of them. Making sure that he was still breathing, that he was still alive, if just unconscious. And he was. But Riku could only dread from experience how long it would be until his chest stopped completely in its rise and fall.

Against his relief that he had managed to find Sora, Riku experienced a hot sense of anger as he held Sora even closer. He didn't mean to speak out loud, but his thoughts managed to appear as such regardless. He didn't even look to see whether or not Kairi was listening. He just sighed heavily, shaking his head and trying not to let self-blame leak into his anger at the boy's irrationality. "Sora, what on earth are we going to do with you?" he growled.

And despite the exasperation he was feeling, he could only hope that they would actually _have_ to answer the question.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Yup! I barely managed to get this out, so hopefully it's alright enough! And that its length kind of makes up for the gap. I will wait once more for ten reviews before pushing myself to update. Again, a lack of ten reviews doesn't indicate an abandoned story. It's just hard for me to update with my classes. And I also said that if this story wasn't as popular as its original I would run into problems lol. I was hesitant in making this story in the first place because I was so in love with its first one. I didn't want to ruin anything that didn't need to be ruined. But so far it's been going okay! So I hope it'll continue that way! :)

Again, I apologize if there are typos. Any glaring ones, and I can certainly go back and fix them. Along with any other errors you might come across. I was forced to type this one really fast in between schoolwork so…

I hope to hear from you! Like I said, these next two chapters will knock your guys' socks off! It's when the story will actually start to kick itself into gear and become more in-depth! I'm so excited, you've got no idea. I'm pumped to write it and I hope you're pumped to read!

See you in ten reviews! XP


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for your patience, I really appreciate it! School makes it harder to update, and it's even harder with four stories going on at the same time. I have to try and balance myself as much as I possibly can, though I hope you all will appreciate and notice that this is the one of the two stories I frequent more often in comparison to my others! It's because I'm so grateful for the feedback I get! I promised that as soon as I get at least ten reviews, I would strive to update as soon as possible, and I'm an author of my word. School makes it harder, but again, I trust that you all will be understanding!

Whew! Anyway! On with the story~!

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He paced back and forth. He had adopted the habit. Pacing wasn't really the best distraction he could come up with; even though he was still moving, he wasn't forced to concentrate solely on it. While his legs moved absently, his mind was anything but. Instead, it was going this way and that, flying from one end of anxiety to the other end of rage. He thought of doing more— he could go out and cut down more Heartless. It would take him from here, but it would at least give him something to do other than just let his mind rot from the inside.

And although the prospect of going out and taking down more Heartless would leave everything more…accomplished…Riku could not bring himself to do it. Because that was just the thing— doing so would take him away from _here_. He had been at Sora's bedside ever since the doctors had finished with him. Kairi had helped them through the ordeal, given the fact that her few days with Aerith supplied her with a little bit of useful knowledge. She wasn't a trained doctor by any means at all. But she had seen Aerith do and re-do Sora's bandages about a million times. She knew the ins and outs of the thing that would help him the most at that moment in time.

So now they were left to wait. It was all they could bring themselves to do at this point. Sora had put himself through far too much physical strain— at the moment, his body was completely ruined. He'd been bandaged up tightly once again, yet the wrappings were already soaking through a bright red. The keybearer was burning a hot fever, and an extreme amount of pain was twisting his expression, even in unconsciousness. Kairi was sitting at his bedside, her own expression fatigued and wrought with worry as she was leaned over to hold his hand tightly in her own.

That was how they passed the time. Riku paced, and Kairi acted as a fretful shadow to her friend, her blue eyes strained beyond capacity. The two of them hadn't spoken much since everything had died down. Those that attended the medical wing the Palace were standing at the door of the room, waiting attentively in case there was any change in the condition of the patient that had been brought to them. As soon as Sora had bene rushed into the Palace, the Emperor had ordered swift and utmost care to him. They were not about to let the man down. Of course, the team was also very well aware of the boy's part in ridding China of evil once before.

They had done all they could with patching up his injuries. Yet they could not properly stitch the wounds closed unless the bleeding stopped. Tensely, everyone was waiting for just that. The team of medical professionals claimed that it might be best that the new gauze over Sora's chest was becoming dark with blood. The added pressure could help to clot, and then once most of the gushing subsided, they would be able to discern where exactly new stitches were needed. They could pinch the ruined skin together and make sure that it could all be sewn back.

That was what they said about the bleeding, anyway.

Riku saw the bloody bandages and only felt a sense of fear so powerful he thought he might get sick.

Kairi seemed to share the same idea, going by the look on her face.

As if sensing the pair's growing discomfort, yet more likely just understanding that they were running out of loitering time, a few of the doctors paced forward in the effort to look over Sora once more, flashing Kairi a slightly uncomfortable look as they neared. Thankfully, she got the hint. The redhead cleared her throat, fighting a grimace as she took her fingers away from Sora's limp ones, which fell back emptily on the bed once they were released. Her gaze was heavy, and it lingered on her unmoving friend as she stumbled back to Riku.

Seeing her staggering, a sense of panic jarred the other out of his thoughts. He turned and reached out, steadying her before she could collapse. She took the help with a mumble of thanks, her lips hardly moving with the gratitude. Riku looked at her in concern. It was clear that she was more than shaken. Looking at her, Riku's mind was thrust back in time to that night that they had found Sora. She looked exactly like she did then, hunched over Sora's body and trying to shake him awake with desperate screams. Scared, wracked with panic, and her own type of agony.

He dragged his mind back to himself, before he could make the whole situation even worse. Instead he cleared his throat, turning over and looking over at his friend, struggling to jar himself back into controlled thinking. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke next, his voice was clipped and brisk. "I should…I should probably spread the news to the others," he said. Up until now, there had been so much going on, that he hadn't even thought of telling the rest of the group that they had found Sora. Now, even though the situation was still tense and high-strung, there was a moment to breathe.

The doctors were beginning to slowly unravel the bandages stretched across Sora's torso. They were going to begin the stitching apparently, though Riku's stomach felt nauseated at the realization that his friend was still losing blood. There was still a reason to hover and worry, but Riku knew that he couldn't put off calling the others back. He knew that if Leon and Yuffie had found Sora like this and they hadn't told Riku as soon as they possibly could, he would be beside himself with fury. He couldn't be a hypocrite and do the exact same thing to them.

Kairi frowned, looking unsure. She turned and looked over at him, her eyebrows knitting together in worry. "Are you…sure?" she asked, her voice unnaturally soft. When Riku just turned and met her gaze, she reverted back to gazing over at Sora. She seemed suddenly a million pounds heavier. Her lower lip shook a little bit, and she reached up to rub at her eyes, as if worried that there was a chance some stray tears might fall. Her next words came out in the form of a weary sigh. "…What if…what if he wakes up when you're gone?"

He was confused. Looking from Kairi, to Sora, he said slowly: "Well…I mean— hopefully he will." They were starting to stitch him closed once again. Sora's head was drooped to the side limply, the straying pain still prominent there in his features. He looked way too pale, and now Riku realized just how small he was. You didn't notice a fact like that when he was up and fighting and laughing and talking. But you did notice how fragile he was when he was like this— exhausted and on a bed with bloody wrappings being peeled off from a dark-red chest.

He was so tiny.

That was the problem, then, wasn't it? Thinking that he understood the reason for her apparent worry, Riku moved to reassure her as best he could. "He _will_ wake up, Kairi," he said, his voice stressing the idea to try and drive it into her mind even quicker. She was still deflated, however; her expression was still clouded over and run-down. He took a step closer to her, reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder in what he hoped would be a gesture of compassion. Or at least a gesture she would be able to clutch onto. "He'll pull out of this. The doctors aren't even that worried." That last part was a little bit of a lie, but he moved on anyway. "He'll wake up. Don't worry, Kairi."

"That's not what I was getting at," she said, her voice getting thicker and thicker. Her words were congested and hard to get out, and Riku felt a rising burst of frustration and sorrow at the fact that his friend was so upset, and he could do little to nothing to help. She wiped at her face again, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. It looked like she was having a hard time swallowing. "I meant... _what do I do if he wakes up_?" she amended.

Riku stared at her. His reply was delayed, and when it came, it was hushed. "He's…he's still the same old Sora, Kairi…" he tried weakly.

She immediately flared, turning to round on her friend. " _Is he_?" she demanded.

Riku was taken aback, his eyes widening out. His mouth hung halfway open as he became too stunned to get anything back. Kairi glared at him a moment more before her mind caught up to herself, and she realized how sharp her voice had grown, and how loud. Her hands had fisted at her sides, and she had to make a conscious effort to relax. Yet even when she did, she did so with difficulty. She turned back front to face Sora, her expression melting from harsh and enraged, to exhausted. With how beaten-down she looked, Riku had to restrain himself from realizing how similar she looked to their friend, who was still unresponsive.

Tears leaked down the sides of her face, and she cleared her throat, choking back a swallow and shaking her head. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm not angry at you," she said, her voice broken and cracked. "I'm…I'm angry at myself." She sniffed, fighting a grimace. "I should have known that taking the keyblade was a bad idea. Going with you all was a bad idea. I should have stayed with him— I should have seen how upset he was! How upset I was _making_ him!"

Riku was already shaking his head. "Kairi, you have no reason to think that you're to blame for—"

"But I am!" she protested in a sob. " _I_ am the reason he's like this! He wasn't doing very well before, but he got even worse once I left Merlin's house! Can you _believe_ that!? I _left_ him! _Him_! How could I do that!? He's my…he's just…he's so important to—" She closed her eyes tightly, grimacing as she backtracked, unable to finish the thought herself. She sounded thoroughly ashamed of herself. "I helped cause this. Now he's anything _but_ the same old Sora." She would know, too— she'd been at his side since they were little.

There was a small pause before Riku could bring himself to reply to her. "You didn't know that he would do this," he said. "None of us did." Kairi just shook her head again, but he turned so that he could put his hands on her shoulders. He raised his eyebrows and waited until she was forced to look up and meet his gaze. Though she did so very reluctantly. "We were doing what we had to, Kairi," he said slowly, ensuring that she would understand every syllable. Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes seemed much too shiny all of a sudden. But she didn't say anything, just listening.

So he continued, just as forcefully. "Without us going out the way we did, the worlds would be even worse than they already are. They might have even started to die out again like before. We were just doing our job. And you were just trying to help. We had no other _choice_ — Mickey made that clear, didn't he?" Kairi was still far from being consoled. He sighed underneath his breath and tried again. "Sora is _still_ the same old Sora," he reinstated. "He's just…he's been through too much. He's upset now, and he'll probably be upset tomorrow, and probably even the day after that. But he's still there. You don't have to worry about what to do with him. Because he's _still_ here."

Kairi wilted. Her expression folded in on itself. "It doesn't seem like it," she whimpered piteously.

Riku tried to offer her a smile that he hoped looked better than it felt. "Then maybe you're just not looking hard enough."

He'd thought that it would be enough to finally light a grin on his friend's face.

But she only let out another sob. "I've been _trying_ to look harder; but it still doesn't work," she said, ducking her head and pressing the heels of her hands hard into her eyes. She gave another sniff, and a cry that caused her shoulders to jerk unevenly. "I just…" In front of them, the doctors were talking in voices too low for them to hear, stitching Sora's wounds closed after putting the sopping bandages off to the side.

Kairi shook her head, completely wallowing in remorse. "I never had to look at him hard before all of this. To see him happy. He always just...was. What if…" She turned and looked over at Riku through wide, tearing eyes. "What if I never get to look at him the same ever again?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Yuffie gasped in and out, her breath scraping against her throat in wheezes. Her arms and legs were burning in exhaustion and pain, and every added movement just made it all the more worse. They had been fighting Heartless for what seemed like forever. They'd hardly had time to go out and look for Sora— every time that they moved to try and search for their friend, another barrage of enemies stood in their way. They couldn't possibly bring themselves to just ignore them. Not only would that be immoral, but it would be impossible at the same time. There were just too many of them.

She and Leon had gone to search in Halloween Town. According to Riku, Sora had tried to use this place as a refuge at least once; they figured it could be a prime candidate here as well. But if it was, they would be here having no idea at all. Currently, they were just trying to keep themselves from dying, dodging in and out of gravestones and cutting down the Heartless as efficiently and effectively as possible. Yet despite the efforts to go quickly, they'd been like this for hours. They had only searched the woods they'd landed in initially.

They weren't going to get anywhere like this.

Yuffie ducked down, narrowly avoiding a Heartless that launched itself at her. She hissed, grimacing hard as she lashed her arm out harshly, throwing out another one of her stars that turned to slice through the shadow. As it flew back to her, and she snatched it back into her hand, she couldn't even feel the slightest bit of triumph. Another Heartless down, and there was just a million more to go. The thought was hollow, but it was nothing short of the truth. She spun around and caught another one, her lungs aching from their efforts to just draw in air.

She whipped over to look at Leon. He was slicing down walls of the Heartless, his face a mix of deep anger and pain. And dealing out another few blows and kicks, she raised her voice up into another shout. "There are too many of them!" Her voce was laced with irritation. While they were stuck doing this, where could Sora be? If he was in danger or getting hurt somewhere, they were just wasting time! And what if he was actually here? They had all split up— that would mean that they were currently Sora's only hope. And here they were just focusing on the Heartless!

Leon turned back to look at her, seeming just a frustrated. He let out a yell as a Heartless sliced at his arm, but he did not leave it a gap to reconsider or regret its action. Once he recovered, he shouted back over to her: "Maybe we should split up!"

She considered it, not being able to reply instantly thanks to the fact that yet another stupid enemy tried to leap for her throat. She sliced it away with an angered swipe. Splitting up? She hadn't considered the idea. Surely there would be other Heartless wherever they went? It looked like the world was crawling with them. They'd been fighting for at least an hour if everything was compiled into one length of time. Everything in between, and they'd been searching in the forest. Wouldn't these bursts take place no matter where they went?

"You think that would work?" she asked in a yell. She was slightly dubious of the idea. Both because it might be pointless, and because she didn't feel comfortable leaving Leon behind, or letting Leon leave her behind. For all they knew, Sora had been taken again by someone. That meant that there was something else going on, and even that they could be in danger of being taken too. The thought was enough to instill in her a sharp lash of fear, which prevented her from giving up and taking off in pursuit of Sora.

But, as she continued to hammer and strike against those that were in front of her, a cold sense of realization settled over her to make her see that she was being awful. The fear with the thought of being taken…that could be a feeling that Sora had been living with every day. She remembered all the times that her friend had seemed distracted and lost, even when someone was talking to him. Or when he looked so tired and worn-out right after he'd woken up.

He had been suffering underneath that pressure for the longest time now. He might even be taken right now, reliving whatever torture he had been forced to undergo a second time over. If Yuffie let herself be deterred just by the fear that something would go wrong for her, then she would not just be an awful friend— she would be an awful person in general. She couldn't let it stop her. They came out here to find Sora. That meant they would find him. They had to.

She gave a nod of affirmation, her eyes narrowing into determined slits. "Right!" she shouted, slicing through two more shadows. These things were _everywhere_! "You go on ahead! I can handle these things! You go and try to find Sora!"

Leon, surprisingly, fought back. "No! You go!"

Yuffie glowered, irritated sparking to life in her expression. She turned and rushed closer to Leon, so that she wouldn't have to yell as much. She could hardly make her lungs work enough to breathe normally, much less shout. "I don't think this is the time to fight about this!" she snapped. "You go on ahead! You're faster than I am! And you're stronger! I'm already tired; you clearly aren't!" Leon turned and flashed a look in her direction, but she refused to let it stop her. Because she was right. "You'll find him quicker than I would! You're a more formidable opponent! So go on! I've got things handled over here! You go and find Sora!"

Leon hesitated. He continued to stare at her, his expression starting to change a little bit. Instead of peeved and off-put, he seemed to grow almost…worried. Concerned. He stopped fighting entirely, slowing down to resort to just staring at her. This caused Yuffie to stop as well. She perked, blinking as her own expression started to weaken. She started to open her mouth, trying to gather her scrambled thoughts together enough to say something.

Leon beat her to it, though. "How did everything get to this point?" he rasped, his voice empty and hollow.

She jerked back in surprise, as if she had been slapped. Still, her mouth stayed halfway hanging open. Her brain spluttered, as if an impossible math equation had been placed in front of her, rather than a single question. But just because it wasn't some equation didn't make it any less impossible, of course. She swallowed hard and tried to come up with something that would be good enough to suffice. "I…I don't…" Nothing worked.

Leon continued to stare at her, genuinely waiting for an answer that she didn't have.

Thank goodness they were interrupted.

Before she could stutter out a response, there was a sudden burst of magic. A dark black wave spread out from absolutely nowhere. At first, Yuffie was only driven even crazier at the sight of it. She couldn't stand these things around her; something that caused such a powerful spell like this would only be the final nail in the coffin. She couldn't put up with much more. Fumbling and watching the wave swirl all around them to make everything pitch black, Yuffie reached out blindly to take tight hold of Leon's hand. She felt a reassuring squeeze in return, and tried to hang onto that as much as she could. Because whatever the source of the power was, it couldn't be anything good.

When the wave subsided, Yuffie nearly jumped out of her skin. The place was empty. Well— not completely empty, no. There were a few Heartless straggling in the aftermath, spinning and wounded as they could only stagger limply, low on health. Yuffie wasted no time spinning her weapon out so that it cleared through the last few, causing them to disintegrate on spot. Only then did she look up to see the source of the magic, though by this point, she had her own hypothesis which, of course, turned out to be correct.

Riku was standing a few ways away, his arm dropping back as he started to slump, falling to the side. Immediately Leon took off, bolting to his friend's side and helping him before he could collapse. Riku's head was hung so that his chin was touching his chest; the attack had been strong, no doubt. But it seemed to have sapped him of his strength. "Riku?" Yuffie gasped, rushing after Leon as quickly as she could carry herself on her exhausted legs. "What are you doing here?" They'd all agreed to stay split up unless absolutely necessary. Sora was the top priority— they'd agreed on it. She felt a sense of concern. "Where's Kairi?" Had something happened?

"She's back…she's back at The Land of Dragons," the other rasped, his breathing labored as one eye stayed closed in a grimace. "I left her there with— with him." Him? _Him_!? Less than a second passed and Yuffie was completely at attention. "I had to come and tell you that…" He was heaving, sweat beading down his forehead as she reached up to try and mop it away. He cleared his throat and forced himself to stand, ignoring the fatigue. "You don't need to keep going."

Yuffie was so surprised that she didn't even react. Leon, however, was immediately over the moon. A beam split over his face, and he gave a bubble of laughter. "You…You found him!?" he demanded, relief seeming to come off of him in waves. Slowly, Yuffie began to react in the same way as her shock ebbed. Still helping Riku stand, Leon grinned from ear to ear. "T-That's great! Right? Is he okay? Is he safe? Was he in trouble!?" The questions were like water bursting out of a dam.

Riku swallowed. He was getting himself back under control, despite the tax it was putting on him. His voice was reverting back to normal, and his breathing was more regularized. "We found him," he confirmed. "He had some kind of stupid idea in his head. He had just gotten done fighting a whole hoard of Heartless with some others that were there." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "He'd ripped open all of his stitches. Every single one." The others' expressions fell at this, yet he kept going. "We had to rush him to get help. That's where he is right now. I figured you would want to know."

Yuffie's smile lost some of its momentum. "Just a little bit," she said, sarcasm lacing her tone. However she dropped the act quickly, her smile turning into a deep frown instead. "So…is he going to be okay?" she asked, her concern for her friend only doubling. He hadn't been taken, then. He was safe in that respect. But ripping open all of his stiches? And having such a headstrong idea to leave in the first place? What was he _thinking_!?

"We hope," Riku answered, his voice a low mutter. "I left Kairi to be with him. He hasn't woken up yet— he's getting new stitches as we speak." He shook his head. "You should have seen him. He was bleeding all over the place, completely in pain…and he was still trying to get away from us." Leon and Yuffie frowned in sync, Riku's voice softer as he said this last part. He seemed to grow a little bit more absent, staring off into a space for a few heartbeats before he rasped out anything more. "Kairi's…Kairi's worried." It didn't come out like he'd thought it would.

Yuffie's expression softened. She leaned over and tried to catch his gaze. "We all are," she said softly. Riku didn't reply, and, glancing over at Leon, Yuffie felt a strong desire to try and comfort him. The two of them weren't all that close of friends. Oddly enough, from the time Riku first got here to now, they didn't have a lot of time to pal and joke around. When you had something else so pressing on your mind, it was hard to focus on anything else. But she knew how much Sora meant to him, despite how hard it was to show it recently. After all, the two of them had paired up together to try and save Sora in the first place, before anyone else had. She'd seen how far he was willing to go for him.

"Hey," she said softly, waiting until he was brave enough to meet her gaze. "Don't worry. Alright? He's just scared from all of the Heartless. We all are. We still don't even know where Merlin went!" Her voice cracked a little bit at this, and she had to cough and clear her throat, to keep from being lost in translation. "He just did what, apparently, he thought was right. What he thought would help the most. That just means that when this all calms down, we need to talk to him. Make it clear that nothing's going to change from here on out. Because that's what he's worried about— he's worried about change. It'd be normal for someone like him."

"I know," Riku mumbled softly.

She blinked, frowning even more. There was a long pause, in which both she and Leon just stared at Riku, who seemed too preoccupied to say anything more than those two words. Eventually Yuffie cleared her throat, knowing that if they loitered any longer, they would be attacked all over again. And if they were ambushed, they wouldn't have Riku's powerful magic to back them up again. Though he'd recovered enough to stop gasping for air, he was still weak, and he was still holding onto Leon for leverage. Not to mention, of course, that they were wasting time just standing around here. "You said he was in The Land of Dragons?" she asked.

Riku nodded. Only then did he take his arm back and right himself.

Yuffie hesitated, gauging the look on his face. Then she offered him a small smile. "Look, why don't you go back to Sora?" she offered, ignoring the swift look that Leon shot her. She would rather rush to Sora's side too— none of his friends here wouldn't. But she could see how beaten-up Riku was, despite how hard he was trying to make him seem anything less. Throughout this whole thing, he had been trying to make himself seem calm and collected and unaffected by anything. She knew that wasn't true. "Leon and I will go and spread the word," she said. "You just get back to Sora."

Riku perked. He looked at her in a stroke of confusion. "You…you don't have to do that," he said.

"No, I know I don't," Yuffie returned gently. "We never really _have_ to do anything. But you go on ahead. We've got it under enough control. Not to mention that you're already worn-out after you spent all your energy on that one attack." He seemed like he wanted to object, but they all knew he couldn't. "You go back. To him. We'll catch up."

Gratitude flooded his features, and Riku offered her a small smile. "Thank you…"

She grinned and gave a small nod. "Friends do whatever they can," she pledged.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Kairi sat at Sora's bedside, her expression dreary and weighted. Her chest felt heavy, and her eyes felt like they were on fire, despite how many times she ran her hand against them. All of the doctors but one had left— that one was standing in the corner, keeping watch over the patient. He hadn't talked to Kairi once, but the girl was more than alright with that. She was sitting by the limp body of her oldest friend; she wasn't in the mood to try and make small talk about the weather.

Sora was still running a high fever. Kairi's hand was clasping his, and it was burning. He had been stitched closed, and cleaner bandages were wrapped over his torso again. Those too had started to spot over with blood. She had been intent on him one hundred percent ever since Riku had left. He hadn't gotten any better, though. He was still just as pale and weak. He looked like every single ounce of his blood had been drained out, leaving him white as a sheet. He was still in pain, and every so often, he gave an unconscious noise of agony that ripped Kairi's heart in two.

It was completely silent. The minutes dragged by like hours. Kairi tried to pass it, though it was more like she was withstanding it, or enduring it. She swallowed, leaning over and using her other hand to stroke Sora's forehead gently. She was struggling to offer any sort of reprieve from his pain, feeling his as sharply as if it were her own. It wasn't doing much; Sora was clearly hurting. He still gasped now and then, and he still gave out weak mewls of pain through limp lips. All that was accomplished from her efforts was the fact she focused on every injury that was on his head. The bruises and cuts and lacerations. It was enough to make her sick.

"How is he doing?"

The voice was quiet, but it made Kairi jump out of her skin. She jerked, her head snapping up at once and surprise flooding her gaze. She'd never seen the speaker before, but going by what he was wearing, it was clear on who he was. There wasn't much mistaking it. The Emperor was walking slowly into the room, his gaze zeroed in on Sora, despite the fact that the question was directed to her. Kairi was torn on what she should do— she didn't have experience in speaking to people from other worlds. It was still a little surreal, if she was being completely honest.

However, she got over it quickly. Her attention was still mostly reserved for her friend. She readjusted her grip on his hand and looked back down at him, clearing her throat. "He…he's not out of the woods," she said softly, her voice cracking a little bit. She tried to ignore the fact as best as she could. "He's hurt pretty bad. And…so I'm just waiting for…for him to wake up."

The Emperor walked forward until he was at Sora's bedside as well. Only then did he stop, still studying Sora closely. His gaze seemed thoughtful, and his voice turned out to be even more so. "A tragic state, for one so young." Kairi blinked, her shoulders shaking as she held a bit tighter to her friend's hand. The old man continued to survey the state of Sora, before he suddenly turned over to look at Kairi instead. She experienced a rush of heat at the unwanted attention, but it was forgotten when he went on, his voice just as thoughtful. "Yet the same may be said for you."

She wilted. Her expression flickered over in sorrow, and she moved to focus on her friend instead. She replied, but only in a small whisper. "I'm fine," she murmured. She sniffed and moved her thumb gently over the back of Sora's hand, as if trying to reassure him that everything would be fine. However, given the present situation, she was probably just trying to comfort herself.

The Emperor blinked slowly at her retort. "Such a reply is admirable," he relented. "However, no matter how tough the oak may seem, it still bends to the wind and the storm." The reply didn't help her much; she only deflated even further. The man didn't falter, though. He just offered her a small smile that seemed kind and tender. "This is natural," he went on gently. "Every human life is plagued with trouble. Heartbreak, and loneliness, and sorrow, and difficulty. And many more— too much to list. But if life was not this way, it would not be life. It would be nothing at all."

Kairi shook her head. "It would be much simpler," she mumbled.

The old man just nodded. "As I said. It would not be life."

She fell quiet for a moment or two. Eventually, she gave a small nod, relenting to the idea, albeit reluctantly.

The Emperor turned back to study Sora. He had not changed whatsoever. He was still rasping air slowly in and out, his breath hitching in pain every so often. He still looked agonized and tortured. So Kairi continued to just offer him as much solace as she could, hoping it might be able to leak through and reach him. She sniffed again, and after a hesitation, broke the silence surrounding the room. "But it used to be."

"Everything changes," he said, his response coming back so fast she could only assume it had been prepared. "Nothing ever remains the same. Even nature itself does not— it shifts from season to season. And even then, there is no pattern. No bud on a tree that is the same, no raindrop that lands in the exact same place, and no snowflake that resembles one before it." He sighed, turning to glance in her direction. "If you wish for things to stay the same, you are to be sorely mistaken."

She couldn't help but feel a flash of irritation, despite the caring efforts that the other was putting forward. The redhead swallowed hard. Her voice was spiking a little in anger by the time she got out a reply. "He's in pain," she rejected thinly. "He's in _pain_ and he's _suffering_ and we can't help him no matter how hard we try. He's my—" Again, she couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. And again, she doubled back to start over instead of facing this fact. It didn't make her voice any less congested, though. "It's not a _good_ thing that this is happening. It's not a _good_ thing that he's _hurt_ and _scared_ and that he feels _alone_."

"No, I did not say that it was," he replied with a small nod. "My original point remains; it is a tragic state for one so young. But it is the course of life. It is here, and no amount of wishful thinking may reverse the fact; just like you cannot will away a storm just because you are out with no umbrella." She blinked, her blue eyes flickering over to him as she frowned. "You cannot change the way a stream flows just because you want it to. That stream has been carved this way— it cannot be altered."

She hesitated, looking at Sora with a heavy heart. She looked at his bruises, at his broken arm and at his wrapped chest. Her expression crumbled a second time, and she struggled to keep her voice under control. "So…we just do nothing, then?" she asked weakly, disbelief and regret coloring her question. "We just…let him waste away, just because that's how he'll be from now on?" she demanded. "I don't— I don't want that! _He_ doesn't want that!"

"You do not let him waste away, no," the man returned. He looked at Sora, and he gave a slow sigh. When he went on, his voice was stronger. "I do not claim to know of what is happening," he said. "But I do claim to know of many other things. Once a stream changes its course, you can do absolutely nothing to change it. It is permanent. The most you can do…is try and find a way to handle the new current as best you possibly can."

She roused, tearing her gaze away from Sora and back up to the Emperor. His wizened gaze seemed to shoot straight through her. Her expression seemed almost confused. But he only offered her a small nod again, as if trying to give her silent encouragement.

"What else is there to do?" he prompted.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Where?" Axel demanded in a huff, his breathing coming in irregular pants. He'd just cleared out the last of the Heartless— from this batch at least. The stupid things would be back within minutes, he was pretty sure. He dragged his hand through his messy hair, his green eyes narrowed as he looked over at Yuffie, who was standing across from him. She seemed just as strung-out, gasping openly like he was. She was drawing one of her throwing stars back to herself, and Axel pressed for an answer. "Where!?" Before she could even get a syllable out, he was sweeping on, his worry mounting. "How bad is he hurt? What was he doing? He's safe— isn't he?"

"He'll be okay." Even though she said this, it was clear that her words came a little hollow. "Riku said that he was trying to fight the Heartless— he spun out or got hit, but whatever happened, he ripped all of his stitches out. Riku said that there were doctors that were trying to help him…that's the last I heard of it." Leon was standing beside her, looking anxious to be off. Axel noticed that his weight kept getting shifted from one foot to the other. The only thing that was keeping him from racing off, probably, was Yuffie. "We're going around and telling everyone so they can go to him. You're the first person we've found so far— I imagine the other ones will be just as hard, if not harder."

Axel sighed. He seemed to look as though he wanted to say something more. But he curbed himself. He just ducked his head down to study the ground, his hands on his hips as he said slowly: "Well…then you'd better get a move on. I'll go and find them as soon as I do one last run-through here."

She straightened, looking confused. Confused and a little irritated. "Another run-through?" she asked, incredulous at the idea. When Axel didn't look at her, her cheeks flushed a little red. She took a small step forward. "Axel, forget about this place for a second! Sora almost _died_! He needs us there!" Axel didn't even glance at her, and she puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Are you listening?" she demanded. "You have to go to Sora, _now_! Can't you see this is exactly why he ran off in the first place?"

Axel rounded on her, shooting her a dagger-filled scowl. "Go," he snapped.

She jerked backwards, as if she'd been struck. Leon's eyes narrowed to shoot Axel a reserved glare. He reached over and put a hand on Yuffie's shoulder, pulling her back before she did anything she might have ended up regretting. Her jaw locked backwards, and she gave a short sigh. "Fine," she said, collecting herself enough so that she wouldn't spit out the words. But anger was still alive in her features, and she gave a short huff before shaking her head and drawing away. "You stay here and figure everything out. We're going to go round up the others."

Axel only gave a small nod. Yuffie lingered for a minute more, looking confused and concerned, as if she wasn't sure this was where their interaction should end. But even when she stared at him, he didn't change his mind or double back on what he said. He just stared right back at her, looking impatient. So she turned and took Leon's hand, pulling him back the way they'd come. Axel turned and watched them go, his expression blank. And it stayed just as unreadable until they reentered the large door of the Coliseum and disappeared from view.

The door slammed shut behind them— it wasn't a surprise, considering how huge it was. Once it did, Axel's entire demeanor drooped. He closed his eyes, and a trembling sigh tripped itself out of his lungs. He reached up and rubbed at his forehead. Crap. They'd found him, yes…that was good. That was insanely good. Axel had no idea what he would have done if they hadn't been able to track him down. But… _crap_. What were they going to _do_? How were they going to fix this? Sora had _abandoned_ his friends. Such a thought shouldn't have even existed in the recesses of his mind! Axel knew that even before he'd seen the kid!

 _Crap!_

He growled in the back of his throat, shaking his head and trying to clear his throat before it could swell shut. He just needed to calm down for a little bit, and clear his head. He couldn't go and see Sora; not before he could get himself orientated and rationalized. He had to figure out what to do from this point on. Something that could help Sora. Because that was all that was important to him right now. The rest of the worlds— he couldn't care less about them. They could blink out and die for all he minded. But he wasn't about to let Sora die. No. _He'd_ die before him.

He let out another huff, forcing himself to straighten up. His eyes flickered over the now-empty training grounds of the Coliseum. Before, it had been crammed with Heartless. It wasn't as big of a surprise for him as his first time out was— he'd already known how bad this newfound outbreak of Heartless was. But it still didn't keep him from worrying about it. Because it _was_ bad. It was an _infestation_. Which was what was making all of this so difficult. The others couldn't bring themselves to focus a hundred percent on Sora, when they were so worried over what was going to happen with the other worlds.

It was a crappy excuse in Axel's book. If they were really Sora's friends, then shouldn't they be able to know exactly which case was important? He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts elsewhere. There was no point in getting angrier, if the whole point of staying back for a minute was to calm himself down. He dragged his mind out of the pit that was swallowing him back, and instead focused on leaving. He had to get out of here. Maybe he could figure out what he was going to do on the way to Sora. Because if he was being honest, he knew that he couldn't keeping himself from rushing to Sora for too long.

He turned, reaching out with one arm and starting to summon up a portal. But before he could, a yell echoed its way over to him. "Hey!"

Axel considered ignoring it. But something made him stay. He sighed and dropped his arm again, turning around with a sinking feeling. It was that brawny guy that Demyx always used to rant about. What was his name again? It was…Hercules. That was it. That gladiator god that never lost anything. Axel watched him approach, recognizing the hurried way he walked and trying not to look as disinterested and as peeved as he really felt. "Hey, you!" Hercules puffed. His eyes were slightly narrowed, his jaw set back. "What are you doing here?"

Patience. Axel didn't have a lot of it a majority of the time. And this was certainly one of those times. "I just finished clean-up," he said, his voice dry and cutting. He rolled his eyes and looked around pointedly. "This place was crawling with Heartless when I got here. You're awfully bad at saying thanks, let me tell you." Hercules stopped short, looking confused. As to be expected. So Axel sighed and shook his head. "Just because I wear the cloak, doesn't mean I'm with them," he growled. "I'm with Sora, actually."

This got a reaction from him. The demigod jerked, shock flaring over his expression. "Sora!?" he asked, Axel perking a little bit at the surprise. Hercules staggered closer, his pace quickening. Axel had to force himself not to right the distance and scuttle backwards in reply. He just raised his eyebrows. "How is Sora?" Hercules pressed, more than alarmed. "We haven't heard from him in ages! With all the Heartless that are around now, I was starting to think…well I was starting to worry that..."

"He's not dead," Axel cut him off. Yet his expression flickered in unease, and Hercules noticed the shift at once. Regardless, Axel shook his head to add softly: "…Yet." He ignored the way the other stiffened. "It's…it's a long story. He's…out of commission. Barely there— in more ways than one, I guess."

Hercules' forehead creased. "…Sora?" he asked, needing clarification. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"

Axel tried to get angry. It would be easier, certainly. However, all he could muster was a sense of sorrow. He coughed and looked away, unable to hold his gaze. "…Unfortunately," he murmured. "There was a whole ordeal. He got…he got kidnapped. Tortured." _And I was a part of it._ He could feel Hercules' gaze burning a hole straight through him. He couldn't ignore it, no matter how much he wanted to. "He's just…on the brink." There was a burst of silence in between them, and eventually the whole situation dawned over Axel. He regained control of himself and jerked, hurriedly starting to turn away. "I've got to get back to him," he muttered. "Excuse me."

"W-Wait!" Hercules gasped. Axel jerked to a stop, but didn't turn around. Irritation itched underneath his skin. He _had_ to get going. But again, something made him stop. He just waited for the demigod to go on, and thankfully he did. "Sora's a good friend," he said, his voice saddened now. Axel's own expression faltered; he was grateful that his back was to the hero. "He did anything and everything to help me before. He never gave up." There was a long stretch of hesitation before: "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Axel was already shaking his head. "Not unless you have some kind of miracle," he growled.

He started to walk again. His arm came up from his side.

Hercules watched him go, looking puzzled and torn. But after a second, the look on his face cleared. "I don't know about a miracle," he said, raising his voice to make sure that Axel heard.

He did. And he stopped, his arm halfway raised. He stopped and listened, his muscles growing a little stiff.

Hercules tilted his head to the side questioningly. "But…how about a god?"

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"No."

" _What_!? What in the world do you mean _no_!?"

"We're not moving him. Not right now. He won't make it."

"That's a load of absolute _crap_ and you know it!"

"Axel, stop it. Not right now."

"No, Riku, _you_ stop it! How about _you_ stop for a second and realize that you don't know _everything_ when it comes to Sora!"

"And I suppose you do? Oh, wait, no! You're just thinking about _Roxas_! Guess what, Axel? _He's not Roxas_!"

"I know he isn't! I _am_ thinking about Sora right now! And what's best for him!" The two of them were whispering furiously back and forth, silently screaming at the other in the far corner of the room. Axel's hands were clenched at his sides, and he felt hot fury burn at his fingers, threatening to come out. "Look, I know that there have been a lot of false hopes. But I think that this could actually work! And I think that it could help Sora! Not only physically, but mentally too! It would give him hope, if nothing else!"

"No. It wouldn't," Riku growled. "It would just be another thing that fails him. He's had _enough_ , Axel. You _really_ need to realize that he can't put up with much more." Riku's voice got a little gentler at this, his anger fading to be replaced with exhaustion. He looked at Axel imploringly. "He's sick and injured. Whatever progress we've made, its gone back about twenty-seven steps. He can't be toyed with anymore, and he certainly can't be moved."

Axel drew himself up a little bit more. "You didn't even ask what it was," he spat.

Riku stayed collected. He just shook his head again. "I don't want to know," he said, his voice flat. "I don't want you to tell me. Sora can't be moved right now— if he even breathes out of place, something could go wrong. Look at him."

Axel scowled, but turned to follow orders. Sora was still unconscious. He looked even paler and sicker than when Axel had got here, and that was only about five minutes ago. His breaths came in the form of weak rasps that could be heard from across the room— the redhead had to focus in order to see the rise and fall of his chest. He was sweating from the fever, which was only climbing. Kairi was sitting at his bedside, glued there permanently, it seemed. She was holding onto Sora's hand with her own death grip, tears leaking down the sides of her face as she suppressed little whimpers and sobs.

Riku reached over and touched his shoulder gently. "There's no point," he pushed. "Sora is already…" He grimaced, wincing away from whatever he was about to say. He started over, his voice faltering a bit. "Sora can't be moved from here. They've got blood getting through to him, and he's got doctors on call. It's just…you can't move him. At all. He's just…" He shook his head.

"What if—?"

Riku didn't even let him finish. "And what if not?" he demanded. Axel blinked, his face falling and his jaw shutting closed at the rebuke. He couldn't' bring himself to reply. Riku nodded slowly. He cleared his throat and looked away from the other. "I've hurt Sora before, in the past," he said, his voice low against his throat. "I've been reckless. I've let the 'what if's blind me. After all…what if he _had_ managed to escape the Organization when he first tried?" Axel didn't reply, biting down on his lower lip. "I could have saved Sora earlier, had it not been for the 'what if's. So forgive me if I can't bring myself to hope for any more. I'm focusing on the now. And I suggest you do too, if you want Sora to live. Because right now, he's barely there."

Axel hesitated. After a pause, he hung his head.

His thoughts went back to what Hercules had pledged. 'I can get her to help. All you have to do is bring him to this stream…'

He gave up.

He was left no choice.

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Kairi hummed softly underneath her breath, trying to recall an old song that she and Sora used to sing together when they were little. How had it gone? For the life of her, she could not remember, and the girl felt absolutely wretched as she could come up with nothing. Absolutely nothing. The thought brought another wave of stinging tears, and she reached up to wipe at her eyes uselessly. She sniffed hard. Riku was over talking to one of the doctors, and Axel was standing off to the side, watching. The room was completely quiet. Yuffie and Leon had apparently been unable to find anyone else just yet.

For a while, that was how it went. Kairi wallowing in pain and sorrow, her hand still clasping Sora's much-too-hot one. Sora let out another gag of agony, and Kairi was prepared to try and ignore the unconscious sound, like she'd been struggling to do up until this point. However, glancing down at her friend, she realized with a stab of absolute surprise that it was not unconscious. Not this time.

He was barely awake. His head was still lolled to the side, and he was still entirely limp. But his eyelids flickered just the slightest, and Kairi could catch a glimpse of blue. She stiffened, leaning over at once as the others perked too. He was awake!? Just barely, but yes! "Sora?" she gasped, reeling at the faintest sign of life. It felt like it had been years upon years. Sora didn't react at first, and she pressed, feeling a wave of terror at the thought of Sora falling back unconscious before he could say anything. "Sora, are you alright?" she pressed, near frantic. "Sora? Sora, please say something!" Tears rushed forward, and her lower lip trembled as she tried to control herself.

Riku and Axel broke off, rushing over to be closer.

Axel's green eyes flickered from Kairi to Sora. His expression was unreadable.

Sora choked on a weak inhale, his body breaking into a spasm as he heaved out a rattling cough. Kairi flinched at the tinny sound. His lips were unmoving as he forced out hollow words that were clenched in absolute torment. It broke Kairi's heart to hear it, and a sob escaped her chest. "It…it hurts," Sora whispered, unable to get anything out stronger than that. He sounded like he would rather be screaming and crying and kicking out. Tears rushed down from his half-lidded stare. But his expression was still absolutely numb. "I…I can't…" He broke off, cringing.

Kairi was crying now. She shook her head. "You _can_ ," she pressed, spitting out the words as if they hurt to say. "You _can_ , Sora; don't say you can't. You gotta stay strong. Okay? Please? Stay strong for me." She sniffed, shaking her head so fast, Axel was afraid she would get whiplash. "You can't give up, Sora, you've gotten so far now. Please don't give up. We're all going to be here for you. Please don't leave us, don't leave us, don't leave us…" She inhaled sharply, trembling from head to toe.

Sora's face creased in a sense of half-numb torture. "It hurts!" he cried in a gasp, the words sharp and punctured.

Riku started to take a step forward, opening his mouth to join in the effort of comfort.

But they were interrupted.

Mulan burst into the room, her eyes wide and horrified. "They're here!" she gasped, all three immediately whirling around to face her, panic slapping them across the face immediately. Mulan shook her head, reeling. "You've got to help!" she cried. "The Heartless! T-There are too many of them! They're trying to get into the Palace! They'll be in here any second, you've got to help!"

Riku immediately jerked away, drawing his keyblade to his side. He turned and looked over at Kairi, whose tear-streaked face was lax in terror. "We've got to go!" he snapped, his panic and fear for Sora's well-being snapping him into motion.

Axel drew his own weapons, fire spinning off the metal as his eyes narrowed. "You two go!" he yelled. "If they get back here or find another way around, you'll need a strong fighter to look after Sora!" Riku looked like he was about to object, so Axel raised his voice into a screech, rounding on him with a scowl. "Are you stupid!?" he yelled. "I'll keep Sora safe! I'll protect him with my own life, can you really doubt that!?"

Riku fumed, staring at him a moment longer. But he couldn't argue the logic. Kairi wasn't a good enough fighter to hold her own if she stayed back. She would be much more useful alongside someone as powerful as Riku. And if Riku went out with her, then they had a better chance of killing all of the Heartless before they could storm the Palace; he was unquestioningly the strongest person here, after all. He couldn't stay behind. And they weren't about to leave Sora alone.

Still, he had misgivings. He shook his head and let out a low growl. "He'd better be in the exact same spot when we come back," he warned, his voice dark. Axel just held his gave and gave a tense nod. Riku hesitated a heartbeat more but then he seemed to realize they were only losing time. He turned and beckoned Kairi, who was looking like a deer in headlights. She looked from Riku to Sora, who was now writhing in pain on the bed. Riku's voice rose into a scream. "Come on, Kairi! We've got to go!"

She jerked, and her own sound of pain rose to choke at her throat. But, throwing one last glance back at Sora, she finally tore herself away. At her side, her own flowered weapon sprung into her hands. She held it a little unsteadily, but she did break into a sprint after Riku and Mulan, who were already heading out into the hall and towards the entrance.

Axel watched them go, standing defensively with his weapons drawn at his sides. Yet a few moments after they had gone, he straightened. His expression reverted from stoic and determined, to slightly fearful. He looked from the doorway, to Sora, convulsing weakly where he lay. Already, his jerking movements were getting weaker. Axel hissed underneath his breath, reeling on what to do. He wasn't sure himself what he would do if the Heartless got in here. _Would_ he be able to protect Sora? It looked like it would just take a single strike for Sora to be down for the count. Could he bet on that?

Or…was there a safer bet to take…?

He lingered, agonizing as he looked from one direction to the other. He didn't time. Time was something they never seemed to have enough of now. He rushed over to Sora, his green eyes panicked as he looked him over. He looked horrible. He was in so much pain, but he was already starting to fall unconscious again, going by the way he was fading into small twitches. Well, he was either falling unconscious, or worse. Hurriedly, Axel willed his weapons away, forgetting them. "Sora," he gasped. "Sora, look at me. Look at me!"

Sora didn't. His head was still drooped to the side. Axel let out a panicked breath, rounding the bed and moving so that he could lean down and meet his glazed stare. "Okay, look, we've got to go," he panted, finding that suddenly there was no better choice. It was either go somewhere on a hunch to get Sora better and he might die, or stay here and fight and Sora might die. Only one of the options held something good in them. They were both equally as risky. "Sora, we've got to go. I think I can get you better. You've just got to come with me."

Sora went into another spasm. This one was so feeble, Axel hardly noticed it. Sora gave a pathetic whine. "I…hurts…" The words were slurred— Axel could barely understand them. He didn't even know if he got them right. What he did know was that Sora looked terrible, and that he didn't have a lot of time. "Axel, I— can't—"

He needed to comfort him. Wearily, he tried to offer his friend a smile, realizing with a stab of horror that he was dying. That he was dying all over again. "Hey, hey, hey," he said gently. He leaned down to crouch on the floor, extending his hand towards Sora's face. "It's alright," he tried to soothe. In his hand, a small ball of fire sparked to life, soft and comforting in its glow, which was reflected inside of Sora's dull eyes. Axel remembered with a pang how Sora had reacted when he'd first seen such a flame. His eyes lit up, and a beam split across his face. Now, Sora just stared, his face completely wiped of expression. As if he was too weak to grin.

His pained twitches started to cease, though.

Axel smiled, his expression much tenderer than it typically was. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

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A/N: Next chapter is when the story actually kicks itself into high gear! Strap on your seatbelts kiddos, we're going for a ride. I'm super excited. Hopefully next update can come a little bit sooner than this one did! My other two stories that get half as many reviews had gone a couple months without an update, so I was forced to spend time on those. But now I'm back in the swing of it! So ten reviews later and I shall be right back here drafting up chapter eight! Been waiting for that chapter for a while! ;)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on where things are going! Please excuse any typos as I'm putting off studying to finish this up, and I have a test tomorrow. And please voice any questions you might have! I'd love to see if I could answer any!

As always, thank you so much for reading! And I'll see you in ten reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates! It's been a chore keeping up with updates as it is, and most of my efforts gravitated towards the story that's gotten the most reviews. I'm very sorry, and I hope that you all understand that my schedule doesn't really leave much room for me to wriggle around. I managed to find time enough to get this out, and I hope that you all will be patient with me! I certainly have a lot on my plate.

All the same, I still apologize profusely. You guys have been so patient and I appreciate nothing more than that!

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In the sense of time, there simply wasn't any left. They had run out of it a long time ago. Technically speaking, they had probably run out of time the moment that the Organization had first decided that they were going to set their plan into motion. But now they were really winding down. They were out of time, and they were out of options. Well— he thought that. There was nothing else they could possibly do; that was what he told himself to keep his head on his shoulders, and to prevent his mind from careening out into a sense of panic and self-blame. It was what he used to rationalize the actions that he had taken. _Was_ taking.

But even as Axel comforted himself with this, and even as he held Sora close to his chest and ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him, he could not stop himself from second-guessing. He had taken Sora away from medical care entirely, and without any warning whatsoever. Without permission, would probably be the better phrasing of it. He had told Riku that he would defend Sora with his life, and while he knew that such a statement was nothing less than completely true, it only went so far. How could he claim such a thing, when he was doing this? Rushing Sora off behind the backs of his friends, when Sora could hardly breathe enough to keep himself alive?

Mentally, he told himself to shut up. Overthinking things could lead him to double back on it all entirely. And that was _definitely_ something he could not do. He had to have entire focus on what he was doing. He had to make sure that he kept going, for Sora's sake. Going by the listless way that the boy was laying in his arms, and the way his head lolled backwards, Axel knew that they didn't have long now. Running as fast as he could, keeping a tight hold on the younger, Axel set his jaw back as memories rushed past him from the night that they had first escaped the Organization's castle.

Again, he recalled the scene that he often played over and over in his mind— sometimes even against his better judgement. He remembered how they had both collapsed, and he had simply given up, going so far as to encourage Sora to do the same. He remembered that for the briefest of moments, he had thought that it was all over for him. But he remembered waking up next, shocked and alarmed to see an empty bottle of potion lying beside Sora, who had then been rendered unmoving. At the memory, Axel's green eyes narrowed into harsher slits.

Despite everything back then, Sora had not given up on him. He had trusted him and had decided to let him keep going. Surely he felt the same way now, even if he could not show it? Axel could not disappoint him; he _would_ not. Even _if_ Sora wasn't coherent enough to show that he still trusted the Nobody, Axel could never be able to repay the act of kind selflessness that Sora had shown that night by giving him the last potion. He owed Sora. For many things— not just that one. The list went on and on, just like it probably did for a lot of people.

So Axel took in a sharper breath and forced himself to keep going. Travelling through the Realm of Darkness was expansive and trying, but he had a lifetime of experience with it, suffice to say. His steps were assured and quick, and in no time, he found himself right where he had wanted to go. Where he had tried to convince Riku to go as well. Bringing the other to mind made Axel grimace, and wonder what would happen when he realized what had been done in his absence. Dryly, he remarked to himself that it couldn't be anything very good.

The next thought came with a much more nervous sensation, as Axel wondered what would happen if this idea didn't work out.

What happened because of that probably couldn't be very good, either.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, as if to shake off those thoughts that lingered like cobwebs. He just faced what his portal had taken him to, stumbling out of the dark and spinning around in a tightly-knit circle. The familiar walls of the Coliseum arched around him every which way, and the expansive place yawned out in front of him like a black hole. But the Nobody couldn't see anybody— the place was completely barren.

His eyes narrowed, and anger began to boil underneath the man's skin, and flood forward to fill every crevice of his features. He gritted his teeth tightly, the action so harsh that it nearly made his head split. He looked down wildly at Sora, who was just as unresponsive. His eyes were closed, and whatever breath he did manage just twitched at his stomach feebly. Every so often a high-pitched whimper would pass his lips, and groggy expressions of agony would flicker quickly before he was overcome with numbness once more.

The sight was enough to make Axel scream at the top of his lungs. He was almost impressed that he did not. Struggling to keep such a thing back, he groaned in the back of his throat before he shifted Sora gently. He did not want to harm him further, but maybe some slight change in position would give him something tangible to focus on… "Sora?" he asked, practically begging for some sign of attention or simple consciousness. But Sora didn't even stir at the sound of his name. "Sora!" Axel snapped, his voice a bit sharper. "Sora, c'mon! You've got to stay with me, if this is going to work!"

Still, he got absolutely nothing.

Axel snarled under his breath, whirling this way and that to try and catch sight of the only reason that they were here. Where was Hercules!? The demigod was nowhere to be found. Axel started to consider just trying to find the stupid stream on his own, knowing that such an action would probably be completely fruitless. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he spun around, and all of the hopes that he had somehow managed to retain immediately slammed down to sink into the ground.

Heartless. And a lot of them. Maybe not as much as what had been storming into the Emperor's Palace, but it was a sizeable fleet. A fleet that Axel had no hope of fighting if he was going to keep Sora safe. The Nobody blanched, unsure of what to do in the split-second moment. He looked at the oncoming wave with wide eyes, then down to Sora, completely lost. He couldn't hold Sora with one arm and fight with the other. And putting him down to fight raised concerns on losing track of where he was. Really, he had to move Sora as little as possible. Riku's angered reminder of how fragile the boy was still burned in the back of Axel's mind. Just holding him like this was dangerous enough. But to fight too!?

He went rigid, his mind flying every which way as the Heartless rushed forward. His frazzled mind went this way and that, struggling to think up some kind of plan that could keep Sora safe. By this point, he wasn't even considering himself in the equation— he didn't care about that. All he was focused on was Sora. He went through every panicked thought, and though it felt like an eternity for him, watching the Heartless come nearer and nearer with no clue on what to do, it really only could have been a mere few seconds.

A few seconds that were abruptly, and thankfully, cut short.

From somewhere behind Axel, Hercules burst forward, nearly a blur as he sprinted past the Nobody and straight into the throng of the enemies. Axel jerked, surprise flaring across his face as his mouth opened halfway, as if he was about to call out. Yet the shock kept him silent. He just watched blankly as Hercules dove in and grabbed the nearest Heartless, yanking it by one of its scraggly legs and whipping it around as hard as he could. He swung the Heartless through the swarm that was around it, the sheer force of his blows causing the fleet to disappear and blink out in puffs of smoking black.

He repeated the motion several times, the efficiency and strength reducing the crowd more and more until there was nothing left at all. Axel watched with frank disbelief, but he supposed that he could not be too caught off-guard. Whenever Demyx had spoken of the gladiator, he had always said how muscled and strong he had been. Maybe that was why Demyx had always come back from this place so beaten-up and without success. Well— that reason, and that reason that was currently limp in Axel's arms at the moment.

Hercules took out each Heartless before he turned his attention back to the two he had rushed out in front of. He seemed a little winded, but Axel could tell that, like himself, Hercules realized that now was not the time to get sidetracked with anything. He immediately spun around and doubled back, his eyes wide with shock and terror at the sight that met him. Weakly, Axel couldn't blame him. Sora was still bloody and unconscious. The last time that Hercules had seen his friend, albeit such a long time ago, he had probably been bright and active and so excited that it ended up coming across as overly obnoxious. Now he was like a shadow of that person. He was weak and pale, and he was as thin as a twig. His breathing came out in the form of weak rasps against his throat, and every so often he let out a pathetic choke or gag, as if even breathing was becoming impossible.

"That's—?" Hercules broke off, stopping short as if, at the sight of his friend, he had forgotten everything else. Axel barely held back a growl of impatience— they didn't have any room for shock or pause! "I mean, you told me that Sora was injured, but I didn't ever think that…" He trailed off, looking down at the young boy, clearly distraught. His eyes seemed far too crowded with emotion and held-back thoughts. And Axel wasn't about to sop and try to dissect any of it.

"We have to move," he said instead, his voice coming out flat and dull. He looked down at Sora himself, trying not to flinch. Hercules roused slightly at this, but still not enough. Axel pushed quickly, his voice louder now as he pressed. "You said that this could heal him, right?" he demanded harshly. With this, Hercules did look up to meet the other's gaze, which was now filled to the brim with intensity. "We've tried potions. They don't work. His injuries were too old for them to fix anything."

Hercules did not seem deterred by the fact, which Axel figured was the slightest bit reassuring. Or at least, it was the most reassuring thing he had come across in a while. He lifted his chin a little bit, not skipping a beat as he replied with a firm nod of the head. "This won't be a potion," he pledged. Which, again, Axel figured was reassuring. Even if he didn't know what it was, at least he could entertain the idea that it would not be as empty as promise as potions had been. "Trust me," Hercules added, as if sensing the other's hesitation. "If anything will work for him, this will."

Axel started to try and ask for clarification, but he wasn't fast enough. Hercules turned to the side, putting two fingers in his mouth and taking in a sharp breath before releasing it in a sharp whistle that pierced the air. Axel grimaced from the earsplitting noise, and he looked down in the brief hope that Sora would do the same. But to his disappointment, Sora remained oblivious to anything and everything. By this point it was getting harder and harder to even see him breathe anymore— Axel had to concentrate in order to see the small motion.

Frustration bubble up in the back of his throat, and he could not keep himself from looking back over at Hercules, his eyes flashing with irritation. "Can we hurry, then?" he demanded, Hercules looking at him in slight surprise as he let his arm fall back down to his side. "Sora doesn't have long! And it won't be long either before more of the Heartless show up! They've been swarming recently!" Hercules started to reply, but Axel was sweeping on. "Sora doesn't have time! What are you even planning on—?"

From the sky, a white blur suddenly shot down, barreling down from the upper atmosphere before skidding down to land directly in front of them. Axel jumped in surprise and immediately whipped back down to look at Sora, for fear of having jarred him and his injuries even more. But he didn't seem to have been altered by the jerk, thankfully enough. Axel could let out a sigh of relief at that at least before he turned and look back up incredulously at what was in front of them.

It was a horse with wings. A Pegasus was what they were called, right? With bright white fur and even brighter blue hair, the hybrid horse whinnied and looked brightly over at Hercules, who had called him to begin with. Hercules gestured to the animal hurriedly. "Pegasus will be our fastest way to get there," he said, seeing the look that was on Axel's face. "He's perfectly safe— Sora's actually ridden him before." This was said with a small sense of sorrow, as he glanced once again at his friend, who was growing weaker and weaker.

Hercules turned to Pegasus now, not worrying about Axel's reluctance for the time being as he started to speak in a rush. "Pegasus, we've got to get Sora to help, alright?" The horse turned, his eyes immediately drilling down to the teenager that was still cradled in Axel's arms. His eyes widened, and the animal gave out a harsh whinny, his wings stiffening and fluttering at his sides. Hercules nodded in a rush. "That's right," he said, turning and beckoning Axel over to their transportation. "We've got to get to the stream that's at the base of Mount Olympus!"

Axel started forward, having to maneuver a little awkwardly in order to get on the horse without harming or shifting Sora. At the mention of the location, his stomach fell in concern. "How far away is that?" he demanded. He hadn't seen any mountain ranges when he was here dealing with the Heartless. But then again, that might have just been because he had been so focused on the task at hand. "That's close, right?" He didn't know how much longer Sora could hang on. And he certainly wasn't able to ask him outright like he would have wanted to.

"Pegasus is fast," Hercules promised, shooting his horse a look as the words slipped off of his tongue. The horse replied with a quick nod of his head, pawing at the ground with his hooves as he whinnied a second time. Hercules helped Axel up onto the horse, and for once Axel didn't even feel irritated with the gesture of assistance. He just took it, situating himself accordingly as Hercules got up to take his place at the front.

Once he did, he turned back to Axel, looking slightly worried. "Are you secure back there?" he asked.

Axel looked down, checking that Sora would not fall or get even more hurt. It looked to be the best that they could do. "Yeah," he said. "Go!" At the command, Pegasus didn't even hesitate. He launched himself back into the air, and Axel hissed sharply through clenched teeth as he held tighter to Sora. The ground disappeared out from under them, and they rose up into the sky, Pegasus' wings going a million miles per hour as he streaked for their destination.

He took this time to look down at Sora and survey him. The boy was still unconscious— there was no changing that by this point. Axel noticed with a pang that his lips were gradually turning bluer the longer that this went on. He recalled how Riku had said that they had been giving Sora blood back at the Palace that they had left. How much blood had he _lost_? He could suffocate before they got to their ray of hope!

Again, Axel had to wonder if he made the right decision, and again, he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if that was the case. He closed his eyes tightly, ignoring the whipping wind and the dizzying feeling of flight. None of that came even close to the forefront of his mind. All he could experience was the harrowing sense of guilt and fear that he held in relation to Sora. Weakly, he looked down at his friend in sense of deep sorrow.

"Sora, you've got to hang on," he all but pleaded, as if he was trying to bargain with the boy. Sora might as well have been deaf, for all he did in reply. Still, Axel tried to go on instead, if only for the smallest of hopes that somehow the keybearer was still aware, and could still hear him speak. "Please— we might finally have something here. You might finally be getting a way out of all this!" Still, nothing. He sighed, suddenly seeming exhausted from head to toe as he slackened. Hercules watched this out of the corner of his eye, listening silently to the exchange. He only spoke up after a few moments of silence.

"You really care about him," he remarked, his voice a little more subdued than normal. Not as…gusto.

Axel tried to keep his voice from becoming _too_ acidic when it came up again. "Try to contain your surprise," he said, the words coming across as dry and cutting. Though he did wilt, looking down at the bundle in his arms— at the thing in his embrace that seemed to now be made of thinly-spun glass. When was the last time that he had seen Sora the way he used to be? Full of life and eager to run and do pretty much anything? The thought made him grimace, and he tried to shove it away before it could dig underneath his skin. Any more than it already had, that is.

Hercules seemed reluctant to go on. However, looking back at him a second time, and letting his gaze flicker down to linger darkly on his friend, he asked: "How long has it been like this?" His expression was wrought with worry and sorrow. Quite different than the haughty look that Demyx had described him as always having. But he guessed that in the face of all these situations, there couldn't be a lot of consistency, however much they wished that they could have something even close to such. "He was always talking about finding his friends, and being able to go home." Again, Hercules looked down at Sora, weighted down. "Did he ever…did he ever get to do that? Did he ever get what he wanted?"

The question was innocent enough. At the very least, Axel couldn't blame him for asking such a thing with something like this. The Nobody looked down, adjusting his hold on the child as he worriedly tried to judge his pulse and vital signs. They were very weak— whatever traces of life that Sora had were hardly there in the first place. They had started out with no time, and now Axel was realizing that, in a couple of minutes, the last grain of sand would probably fall down the hourglass. He closed his eyes tightly, hunching his shoulders forward as if he had been stricken with pain. When he replied, his voice leaked out through gritted teeth. "Not really." He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying to keep himself from falling into too much of a panic, but knowing that he was gradually losing control. "Can we hurry?" he demanded, his voice sharpening a little bit. "We need to hurry! He can't take much more!"

"We're here!" Hercules shouted. Axel hissing out a breath of relief at the cry. Sure enough, Pegasus swooped down, his wings flattening out as he zipped towards the ground below. Axel caught sight of the river that the other had mentioned, and sure enough, over the horizon, he could also see the mountain as well. It was all there, and in his sense of desperation to get Sora better, his grip on the boy tightened just slightly. But again, Sora didn't react to the pressure.

Pegasus landed with ease, from ages of practice. Thankfully— because Axel knew that even the smallest of twitches in the wrong place could prove to be lethal to Sora. As soon as they came to a standstill, Axel was up and moving. He slipped off of the horse's back, and he touched the ground once more with a pang of adrenaline. He shifted his hold on Sora again, his eyes wide as he looked at his friend. He whipped back to Hercules, nearly trembling as he snapped: "Well!? Where is this thing!?"

Hercules turned, searching for something, going by the way his eyes flickered back and forth routinely, combing the area. His face began to fall uncertainly, and Axel went absolutely rigid, already preparing a few choice words on his tongue that would probably peel paint on the walls of a building fifteen miles away. But before he could clear through his rage enough to properly begin, Hercules brightened, his eyes going wide as he gained nearly an entire foot of height. "There!" he cried.

He rushed ahead, and Axel followed soon after, struggling to handle Sora at the same time. Sora was thinner than a pole, but after cradling him for so long, it was beginning to wear on him. His arms were laden, and he recalled with yet another a strike of guilt how he had stumbled and fallen that night long ago in the rain. He swallowed hard and pushed aside his own weariness. Stopping and taking time to feel sorry for himself would be nothing but absolutely selfish. Sora was probably in pain that was worlds bigger than what simple exhaustion Axel was experiencing. He was spluttering for air, even now— oxygen was hardly able to weak through his lax jaw and seep down into his lungs.

Turning and looking over to the river, Axel jerked as he realized that the water was softly beginning to glow, the bright slowly becoming more and more prominent with each second. Hercules seemed unbothered, continuing to rush down to the bank. Axel, on the other hand, had to stop short, ducking his head and grimacing away from the glare once the light became too bright to possibly make eye contact with. His eyelids were bleached an aching pink, and a frustrated noise wormed its way from Axel's throat as he stumbled to a halt. However, the light subsided gradually, and Axel perked, bringing himself to open his eyes once more, slowly, just in case there was still any left to cause additional pain.

But there wasn't any glaring lights. Surprisingly, in place of that, there was instead a woman standing in the water. She was straightening, as if she was just being roused. And as she turned and looked over in the direction of the three standing on the bank. Her expression sharpened in a look of astonishment at the sight that met her. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell to be slightly agape. Axel's did the same— he wasn't all that sure what was going on.

Thankfully enough, Hercules did. "This is Panacea," he said, looking in between the goddess and the Nobody standing beside him. Axel still seemed slightly unsure, and so he went on, his voice pressing as he started to edge towards the river's edge. "She's a friend of mine." The woman perked, turning and looking at the trio earnestly. "She can help Sora— I know she can. She helps to provide universal remedy; it's what she's known for. Even if potions can't help him, I'm sure of this. It's the best bet."

Axel turned and looked over at the goddess, still shimmering gently in the stream. He was anxious, wary to let go of Sora even now. "Are you sure?" he demanded, his eyes like daggers as he waited for her reply. He looked down at Sora pointedly— at his injuries and his pain. "You can help him?" He took a few steps forward, closer to the river. "He's severely injured. And he's been through so much…you've got to help him. He's helped so many others in the past; he's hardly ever thought of himself." His voice chipped slightly, and he grimaced, ducking his head to look down. "He doesn't deserve any of this. He deserves so much more."

Panacea blinked, her gaze thoughtful. She blinked, looking owlishly down at the child that was in Axel's arms. His head was still tilted backwards, his limbs and his expression numbed over. She reached out wordlessly at first, her eyes softening in sympathy at the bedraggled heap. "Come," she said, her voice sounding as smooth and song-like as the river that was streaming past her. "I will do all that is in my power to help the boy who has helped so many." Her voice was wise in knowledge, and Axel realized without a doubt that she knew exactly who this was.

Unsurprising, if she was who Hercules made her out to be.

He walked forward, holding Sora carefully as he stepped down into the water. It seeped through his shoes immediately, and chilled him to the bone. He gritted his teeth against the sensation, his eyes narrowing against the sense of fear and worry that was still chipping away at him. He just kept walking out so that he could meet her— until the water was up to both of their chests. The goddess kept her arms extended, and Axel leaned over to hand her off, despite the reluctant way that he wished to keep Sora close to him.

She accepted the burden easily, not even wincing. Holding him in such a way that left him floating completely in the water. Axel realized with a stab of panic that at the contact with the water, the bandages proved themselves worthless. The water soaked through the gauze, and the water that rushed past him was dyed a sickening red. Axel's forehead creased, and he swallowed hard, reaching up to dig his fingernails into either side of his head. "Is he going to be okay?" he demanded, his voice tense. By now, Hercules was rushing over to join them, looking just as concerned.

Panacea did not reply for a moment. Her eyes seemed to weigh even more somehow, and her forehead creased over in a sense of strain. She looked him over in silence for a few seconds, the only sound between the four of them now being the running of the water. After this gap, she turned and looked up to Axel, her stare heavy. She spoke up, and her voice fell down on him like heavy rocks. "He is dead," she announced, her soft voice blunt with its message.

Absolute silence.

Axel's eyes widened to be twenty times their normal size. His stomach dropped out from him, and he jerked backwards, as if he had been slapped clear across the face. He blinked rapidly, and it had to be nearly a full sixty seconds before he could get a single thing out. And even when he did speak, his voice was just a mere choke. "He's— he can't be—" He blanched, turning and looking down at the boy. Sure enough, he had gone completely still. His chest wasn't even giving its occasional twitches of life, and his head was tilted unwillingly to the side in the river. He was listless. Completely lifeless.

It was as if Axel had been punched in the stomach. He tensed, staggering to the side like the current was too strong for him to stand upright. It was an easier thing to think rather than just facing the knowledge that it was all too much for him to handle. "He's…no— no, please don't say that…" he rasped, his voice hollow as he looked down at his friend in despair. He stumbled over, reaching out and grabbed tight hold of Sora's hand; Sora did not react at all to the pressure. "Sora, please don't…" Hercules watched, his expression desolate and overcome with severe remorse.

Axel hissed, struggling not to fall over or capsize. But this was all he could do. For a moment, he was completely silent, reliving far too many things all at once. That night out in the rain, with Sora's agonized and desperate expression burning straight through him. Roxas' angered scowl as his friend turned back to glance at him, his voice hollow as he'd growled: "No one would miss me." Axel's hands curled into fists, which were now beginning to shake and tremble. He remembered the words he'd snapped out in reply. How he had meant every word, but how each had been far, far too late. "That's not true. I would."

Anger rushed forward quickly to swarm his gaze. He locked his haw backwards, and his eyes narrowed down into harsh slits. "Give him back to me," he hissed, starting to wade forward against the current of the river. Panacea did not react, only studying the child carefully. He bristled, flaring again as he realized that he was being ignored. He lashed out, his hand slapping against the water and causing it to spray up to hit all of them. "I said _give him to me_!" Axel screeched, his shout turning earsplitting with the command.

Panacea closed her eyes, remaining completely calm despite everything. "Stop," she said, a sense of authority fostering itself in her tone. Axel only seemed more enraged at her response, and her own expression sharpened a bit as she looked up and gave him a flashing glare. Though she appeared rather young on the outside, there was a sense of fire in the look that she gave him which left Axel retreating back from his own flare of rage. He blanched, his face falling as instead a sense of doubt crawled over it.

Hercules looked at the goddess with round eyes. "Can you still do something?" he pressed.

She did not skip a beat. "I will do all in my power," she pledged. She turned over to Axel with a slow blink. "And I am certain of the abilities that have been gifted to me." Axel closed his mouth slowly, unsure as he swallowed with a small grimace. Panacea just blinked and turned her focus back to the boy that was still floating in the water. She spoke in a small murmur, as if she was talking mainly to herself. "His body is very injured…but his mind is even more so." She pursed her lips, hesitating for a few moments before she aimed one final glance up at Axel. She seemed somewhat regretful. "I cannot do much for his mental state," she warned. "I can only handle the harm that has been done to him physically."

"But it will bring him back?" Axel clarified instantly.

Panacea blinked again before she nodded once.

He did the same, but rapidly, nearly looking crazy in the process. "Then please!" he pushed. "I'll take anything!"

She seemed reassured enough. The goddess held Sora still in the water with one hand, and turned to reach out and dip her other hand below the surface of the water. Axel watched tensely as, underneath the water, there was another soft glow of light. When she brought her hand back up out of the stream, it was cupped to carefully hold the water that came up with her. Axel saw with a twinge that it seemed to gleam and shimmer in her palm. Panacea turned, Hercules watching with bright eyes as she tipped over her hand, carefully spilling the shining water into Sora's mouth.

She trailed her hand down his throat, making sure that the boy was able to swallow it down. She repeated this motion over and over, Axel's eyes following and tracking her every movement with bated breath as he waited. It was all he could do at this point. Hercules did the same, the two finding themselves in the same boat. Panacea was thoughtful, her gaze careful and calculating as she poured down mouthfuls of shining water after shining water.

Eventually, after a couple minutes of doing just this, she turned to hold Sora once more with both hands. Cautiously yet deftly, the goddess bent over slightly and applied pressure down on the boy, watching in silence as he was pushed down underneath the water. Axel stiffened, going rigid and taking a small step closer. Though he was wise enough by this point to know that speaking out again would be pointless. He kept silent, and tried to force himself to stay still and not batter her. After all, she was the only person that was able to help by this point. If this didn't work out…

If it didn't work out, he had no idea what he was supposed do.

So he kept still and quiet.

Just waiting.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Kairi grimaced, staggering backwards as her arms flopped lifelessly to her sides. One eye closed in pain, and her breaths were just harsh wheezes against her throat. Her head pounded and her knees shook, unable to hold up the weight of her own body. She stumbled and tried to keep herself from collapsing and blacking out on the spot. In the back of her throat, she gave a small whine, flinching at a sting in her lower leg that she had earned shortly before by the Heartless.

"Kairi!" She roused at the sound of her name. She turned and looked over her shoulder, blinking to clear her foggy vision as she saw Riku rushing over to her. Kairi looked down at herself, realizing that her keyblade had disappeared from her hand when she had not been paying attention. She growled, her forehead creasing as she tried to will it back to her. But she was just so _tired_. She felt like she was drowning in her exhaustion.

Riku skidded to a stop beside her, his eyes wide as he searched her worriedly. "Kairi, are you alright?" he demanded. She kept blinking, trying to clear away her weariness. She reached up with an aching arm to rub at her forehead, fighting yet another flinch as she realized that her arm had been sliced as well. When she didn't reply at first, Riku leaned closer to her for a better look. "Kairi, can you hear me?" he demanding, his voice a bit louder as he was forced to repeat himself.

After she collected herself somewhat, she nodded once. "Y-Yeah," she said. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

He grabbed tight hold of her hand, causing her to turn and look over at her friend. Hi expression was intense, and it nearly stabbed her straight through. She was caught off-guard, her eyes widening in concern and bemusement. "Kairi, they got into the Palace!" The girl immediately snapped into attention with this, turning and realizing for the first time that the place was not crawling with Heartless. The other two that were fighting with them had left too— Shang and Mulan had gone on without them. Riku had probably held himself back just because Kairi had been too stunned to follow.

Now, at the realization that Sora was now in danger, she instantly perked. "Sora!" she gasped, all of her tiredness falling off of her like water to be replaced with fear. Riku seemed to share her thoughts exactly. As soon as she seemed to rouse herself, Riku turned and rushed for the doors. He still clung tightly to her hand, and she was slightly grateful for the assistance that helped her to keep her balance and keep her legs moving.

She forced herself to run, despite the way it felt like she was dragging a million pound weight behind her. They rushed back over the expansive threshold of the double doors and sprinted down the hall. They retraced their steps back to the room that they had left Sora and Axel in. Going by the way she could not see any Heartless around, Kairi felt a freeze settle over her heart as she realized that they had probably already found their target.

Riku grasped the notion at the same time. He quickened his stride even more, Kairi stumbling over herself with deep-set grimaces of pain and frustration. She felt like she was completely useless— she hadn't been able to keep up with Riku at all in terms of fighting or stamina. Even now, she could hardly budge one foot in front of the other. She tried to keep going, or she at least tried to stop herself from buckling down to the floor. She just kept up as best she could, though she was struggling to breathe by the time they burst into the infirmary room.

Shang and Mulan seemed to have cleared out most the Heartless that had managed to get this far. Kairi noticed this fact first, a wave of relief coming over her as she let out a burst of loose air. Maybe this would be okay, then. However, even as the sense of relaxation came over her weary bones, she realized that Riku was still stiff where he stood in front of her. Her eyebrows pulled together, and she opened her mouth to try and ask what the matter was. However, before she could, Riku answered her confusion before she could get anything out.

"Where is he!?" Riku all but screamed.

Kairi's eyes widened and froze over in terror. She turned around quickly, looking over towards the bed where Sora had been when they had left. She expected to see him still lying down, just as weak and inept as before— maybe even worse. The thought was enough to slap her across the face, yet that blow in particular was nothing compared to what she actually saw. Because what she actually saw was absolutely nothing. Horror stabbed like a cold arrow through her chest. She stumbled backwards, terrified as she turned to whirl around as well.

She searched the room, but all she saw were Heartless and Shang and Mulan, who were struggling to keep going against the wave of enemies. If they noticed Sora's absence, they were putting it as secondary to the ongoing attack, which was reasonable enough for them. But for Riku and Kairi, this was far bigger than an attack. This was their friend, and it was their friend who was missing and injured and…well who knows what!

"Where did he go?" Kairi spun around to look back at Riku as he let out an enraged scream. She reached up to drag her hands through her hair, mussing it up in the process as she pushed herself to try and stay upright against her growing wave of astonishment. Riku was seething. His teeth were bared and he looked every which way, searching for some sign of Axel or Sora. If looks could kill, this one certainly would cause everyone within the five mile radius falling to the ground. " _Where did he go_!?" Riku screeched.

Kairi was dumbstruck. She had no idea how to wrap her head around what had happened. Tears rushed to sting at her eyes, and she could hardly breathe in a normal fashion as she looked from one end of the room to the other. Where was Sora? Where was Axel!? Had something happened to them? Or was it something much more sinister? While her thoughts were going a million miles a second, making it impossible for her to keep track of them, Riku seemed to have already drawn his own conclusion. And going by the wrath that was twisting his expression, it couldn't be anything good.

Riku growled, gritting his teeth as he raised his voice into a scream that caused Kairi to flinch harshly away from her friend. His voice was crammed with far too much rage and frustration and fear, and far too many other things to keep track of. She had never heard Riku as distraught as he was with this, and her lower lip trembled ever so slightly as Riku's shriek echoed and bounced off the walls of the Palace.

" _Axel_!"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He was starting to fear that it wouldn't work. That all of this was just wishful thinking. There was no point to this, because Riku would turn out to be right. He had brought Sora here on the frayed hope that things would suddenly turn out to be alright, and now it was all just blowing back up in his face. In everyone's face, really. He had taken the only hope that the universe had, and he had squashed it. But more importantly, he had ruined his friend. Now he was standing in the ruins of it, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He stood in the river, the water coming up to his stomach and chilling him to the bone. His expression was completely haggard, and he could only look at the water in front of him, and the shivering shape of Sora that was underneath it. He hadn't moved in ages, it seemed. The water surrounding them was still glimmering with that strange light, and Panacea still seemed to be engrossed in thought. However, nothing had changed since Sora had been forced underwater.

Axel was struggling to try and convince himself that a lot of time hadn't actually stretched out so long. He tried to tell himself that it just seemed longer because they were just waiting for something to happen. He kept his mouth closed, gritting his teeth together to make sure that there was a barrier to help to keep himself in check. But eventually, he could not keep himself silent for much longer. The worry got to be too much, and finally he spoke, his words choking out as if they were forced.

"Is it working?" he demanded.

Panacea roused at the question. She looked up at him with a flicker, a frown coming over her face. For a heartbeat, Axel was under the impression that she was going to ignore him even now. However, once she looked back down, she did bring herself to speak. As she did, she freed her hands from the boy, stepping away in a motion that caused ripples to come off from her. "It is done," she said simply. She made no other move to reach out to Sora, and gradually the light died away from the water itself.

Axel looked down with a stricken, hollow gaze. Sora floated lifelessly back to the surface, and as he broke it, Axel wasn't at all reassured. Though he looked less pale somehow, his eyes were still closed, and his mouth was still slightly open. Surely he had swallowed too much water while he was underneath? Axel turned, trying to control his breathing as he stared down at his friend. Sorrow was like a cold ball in the pit of his stomach. It was still wrong— everything was still wrong!

Sora was still dead!

"This isn't right!" Axel blustered, his voice sounding pathetic even to him. Panacea was staring down intently at Sora— she didn't even look up at Axel when he spoke, and somehow, this idea just made everything worse. "This is still wrong! He's still dead! You didn't fix anything!" He reached up to hold his head tightly, which was absolutely reeling by this point. "You didn't fix it! He's still hurt! Please, no!" Hercules put his hands on his hips, ducking his head as he muttered a curse underneath his breath. Axel started to scrabble forward, reaching out as if to grab Sora up in his arms again. "Sora, you can't just—"

An abrupt noise caused Axel to stop dead in his tracks. His eyes flew open, and he looked down at Sora blankly.

He was coughing.

Weakly, Sora was heaving up some of the water that had gotten in his mouth. His face creased over in irritation, and he jerked into motion, like a machine that was slowly getting over a reboot. He floundered in the water, too confused at first to stay afloat properly. Immediately, Axel swooped forward, trembling with relief as he reached out and grabbed hold of his friend to help him stand. At first he was careful, not trying to hurt the boy's injuries.

But he looked down and realized in shock that there were no injuries to harm.

The bandages had fallen off in the water, and looking down at Sora's chest, Axel couldn't see even a blemish on it. The slices and the stab wounds that had littered deeply in his skin before had disappeared without a trace. Wildly, Axel looked over his friend, his eyebrows raised as he looked at all the other problem areas. Sora continued to cough and hack, but for the moment, the Nobody was sidetracked. He looked at Sora's cheek, which had been cut open; but that was gone. Sora's legs were kicking out in panic as well, and so were both of his arms. No bones were broken.

He jerked backwards, as if he had been slapped clear across the face.

Sora looked completely and utterly healthy and perfect. He looked…like he _used_ to.

"Sora!" Axel stuttered, alarmed beyond belief. His coughing was subsiding slowly, the boy becoming aware of the fact that he was flopping awkwardly around in water now as he perked. "What happened!?" Sora started to get himself recollected. He stumbled, finding the floor of the river and starting to stand for himself. Axel began to let go, but he was still caught off-guard. Sora was actually _standing._ Completely on his _own_. Not in a wheelchair, or on some kind of crutch, or leaning to the side.

Was this actually happening?

Axel turned and looked over at Panacea. The goddess was watching the exchange with a tender look. Stuttering over himself, Axel tried to make up for all of his rash outbursts. "I— thank you!" he blustered, unable to even begin to explain his gratitude with the whole thing. "I have no idea how to— I can't even—" He sighed, shaking his head. "It means so much. So thank you." He spoke each word slowly, each with a heavy-handed emphasis.

The woman smiled, her eyes flickering down to Sora. She was already beginning to fade, disappearing from view just like she had appeared. "I have very good hopes for him," she said, her voice echoing and soft. "And I am sure that he will not fail the wishes of those around him. But I know that you will keep watch over him."

Axel nodded firmly. His eyes were narrowed in determination.

She grinned and repeated the gesture back to him.

The water around her glowed one last time. And then she was gone.

She left the three of them in the river. Hercules was beside himself with relief at the same time. He smiled, grinning from ear-to-ear as Sora finally caught himself. He stood up in the water. Shorter than Axel, the water was above his waistline like it was for the other. Still coughing, he reached up and rubbed his eyes clear, grimacing as he forced up the last of the liquid in his lungs. When he finally did, he gasped sharply, air stinging his throat on the way down. He looked winded and worn-out by the time he recovered.

Axel turned back to him, grinning in relief and happiness. "Sora!" he cheered. "We did it!"

"'Did it?'" Sora repeated, sounding lost. "What did we do? What the heck happened? Where are we?" He looked down at himself, his forehead creasing in slight puzzlement. "Where's Riku? And…didn't I— didn't I do something…?" Gradually, his eyes grew in size. His confusion was mounted slower and slower before it slowly began to clear, and things started to click. Axel watched as, instead, his features lit up with amazement and ecstatic happiness. "Wait a second!" he yelped, going rigid. "What was….what did—?"

"You're healed!" Axel pressed. Sora's head whipped up to lock gazes with the other. It was clear he was in complete disbelief. Axel reached over and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him wildly for emphasis. "Sora, we did it! Hercules did it!" Sora turned as he was being jarred back and forth, looking over at Hercules, who was beaming just as big. "You're healed! You're completely healed! You're fine! I can't believe it!"

"I'm—" Sora stared open-mouthed at Hercules, still being shaken. "I'm healed!?" he squeaked.

"Yes, you idiot!" Axel snapped, refusing to stop whirling the child back and forth. "You're back!" Before he could stop himself, he stopped shaking Sora and forced him close instead. He pulled the young boy close to chest, grabbing him up in a bone-crushing hug. A strangled noise was wrenched from his throat at the pressure in a sharp squeal. But Axel didn't even care. He clung to the child like he never wanted to let go. And he didn't. He truly, actually, never wanted to let go of him. Ever. "You're back! Oh, but you're such an idiot! I can't believe you would go out and do something as stupid as you did! I can't believe you! You're _so_ ridiculous!" Though his words were supposed to be angry, they were smothered by the sheer amount of affection and relief that was in his tone.

Sora collapsed into a fit of giggles, beginning to be overcome with his own sense of jollity. A smile split over his face, and he jumped, both arms flying forward to wrap tightly around Axel's waist. He clung back with just as much force, and Axel laughed at the strength that the boy was able to show now— when just an hour ago, he had been unable to even turn his head to the side. Sora did not say anything— he was too lost in a sea of intense delight. His shoulders were shaking with laughter, and he hugged tight to Axel, as if he was just as reluctant to let go.

Axel sighed, swamped with relief as he put his chin on top of Sora's head. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to still stay upright despite the way that his knees seemed weaker. "You're so stupid," he repeated, his words a sigh now. He shook his head. "You are _so_ stupid— you know that, right?"

Sora laughed, his face buried away in the other's cloak. His response was muffled by the fabric. "You're stupid," he giggled, barely audible.

Axel burst out in laughter. He leaned over a little bit, Sora swaying a little bit in the water as a result. But neither cared. The Nobody just shook his head again, his sides splitting as he continued to be seized with hilarity. They did it. They had managed it. All of it. They were still managing it, and there would still be issues, but they had gotten this far already. "I know," he laughed, continuing to shake his head back and forth. "I know I am. I'm _so_ stupid." He squeezed Sora tighter, nearly cutting off his air altogether. But Sora didn't mind at all. "I'm the worst."

Sora's voice oozed over with happiness and affection. "You _are."_

Hercules watched, amusement and relief spreading over to fill his expression.

He didn't interrupt, and Axel was thankful.

Because for the first time in a very, very long time, everything seemed completely fine. It was all looking up. It didn't even matter that it might not stay that way. Not right then, at least.

Because for once, everything seemed right.

Even if it was just a short amount of time.

For now, Axel couldn't even begin to bring himself to wish for anything else.

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A/N: I updated! Once again, I'm sorry for the delay! I just have to keep up with the correct stories. It's very hard to do and I hope that you all will forgive me for it! Hopefully I can be better in the future. I do hope that I can, because this was the last kind of introductory chapter, though that probably isn't the right word. What I mean is the story will pick up from here on out obviously!

I hope I did this chapter justice! I put off homework for it that I'm going to have to do now, so I apologize for any typos. If there are any glaring ones, and you point them out kindly, I would be more than happy to go back and edit it! :)

Thank you again for your patience, I really appreciate it more than I can say!

I hope you all like this chapter and I hope to hear from you all very soon!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I apologize wholeheartedly for the lack of updates! Now that summer is here, the only obstacle in me updating will be my summer job. Hopefully I can be much more present here, because I do feel so bad for keeping away from this story. I truly appreciate your patience; it means the world to me. Hopefully as this story begins to pick up, the wait will have paid itself off!

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"What now?"

The question didn't surprise him in the slightest, when it came to be. In fact, his _own_ mind had flashed to the worry earlier— nearly as soon as things died down. It had pretty much nearly slapped him in the face. He had spent so long wondering and wishing for just one thing, and suddenly he was here having gotten it. Clear out of the blue, everything seemed to be completely solved, and now he was left to stop and wonder: 'What now?'

He put a smile on his face. Because that was what was warranted right now, wasn't it? That was what was he should feel in response to this question. He should feel excited, and elated. He should feel bursting with energy and ready to move— to take on whatever was in front of him now, because he could officially handle anything that was thrown in his direction. And when he spoke, he hoped that his voice would come across in such a way as well. Now that he looked just like he did on the outside, wasn't it more than logical to assume that he would _sound_ just like he used to? Wouldn't all of the pieces from here on out just fall into place?

"Anything," Sora pledged in reply, the smile he had worked on his face staying put across his lips. "Everything. I can do anything now." The words were strong— reinforced with something that they had not been able to have for quite some time, it seemed. They almost felt weird rolling off his tongue and leaving his mouth. But they did, and in the wake of them, he felt just the smallest sense of encouragement. So he repeated the notion, speaking just the smallest bit louder. "Absolutely anything."

Axel turned and looked over at him, seeming a little bit skeptical, despite the enthusiastic air that seemed to linger around his friend. In the face of such a lighthearted attitude, Axel was wary to ruin anything that had been gained. But at the same time, there had to be a sense of caution to hold even now. Nothing seemed tangible, almost. It was all surreal, as if it was something out of a dream. He expected to wake up any second, jarred back into consciousness to see Sora back on that bed, completely unmoving and wrought with every kind of pain imaginable.

It had to be a dream, right? Because here they both were— not in Merlin's house, but in some completely different world, out in the open and fresh air. Sora wasn't laying down in a heap, unable to move. He was standing up, right beside him. His weight wasn't even favoring one side thanks to the leg that used to be unable to cope. His head was held up high in the moment at hand, and it brought to mind the image of Sora before the Organization had captured him: strong and capable and bright for pretty much whatever.

But the recollection of what he 'used' to be was fleeting, and Axel was quick to draw himself out of such a line of thought. Because even though Sora was outwardly just like he had been before, Axel could not shake the mental image of…well, of anything. Of that night in the rain, Sora listless underneath the gloating figure of Xaldin. Or just a short while ago— void of life as he lay limp in Axel's arm. All the blood, and the close calls, and the almosts. Was it really all completely shrunk to nothing, now?

"Are you sure?" Axel asked, the inward hesitation he was feeling accidentally spilling out into his voice. Sora blinked, not reacting at first. He just continued to stare off into space, seeming thoughtful about something. The only indication that he had heard in the first place was the smallest of creases that came over his forehead. Axel paused a moment more, wondering whether or not he should look a gift horse in the mouth. But his misgivings were enough to nudge him along. "We should be careful. We shouldn't take things too quickly. We have no idea what's going on— on all fronts, really."

Sora broke his stare to turn and look over at his friend. His blue eyes darkened just slightly, and his smile slowly melted down into a frown. One that matched the expression Axel was wearing. The initial disbelief, and the joy and elation that had followed it, had thawed like ice on a hot day. It wasn't a surprise, really. With everything that was going on, anything light or optimistic was quickly overshadowed by an issue at hand, or some other problem that was going on. In this instance, it was…pretty much everything.

"What do you expect we do, then?" Sora demanded. "Sit around and _wait_ , just because you're afraid of something else happening?"

Axel perked, raising his eyebrows a little bit as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Because _I'm_ afraid?" he asked. He took a moment to collect himself a sighed wearily, drooping a little bit as he forced himself to relax. "Sora, look, we need to make sure that we have a clear head with all of this, right? Don't you think that's a good idea?" Sora drew back a little bit, his expression wilting even more as he looked back front. Instead of facing Axel, he just turned and sidled closer to Pegasus, reaching out to drape his arms around the horse, as if the animal was there to act as some sort of comfort mechanism.

Axel put his hands on his hips, looking down at the ground with a heavy sort of expression. There was a period of silence, in which Sora focused on Pegasus, drawing his hand down his coat in a rhythmic fashion. It took a moment or two for Axel to bring himself to break the quiet; even when he did, his voice was a little bit worn, as if he wasn't even sure whether or not speaking was the right thing to do. "All I'm saying is that we need to be careful. _You_ need to be careful." Sora's eyes flickered over to him, but he did not say anything. So Axel pressed on a little bit weakly. "I don't want this to be just another wasted thing. We've had enough of them, haven't we?"

Sora's eyes flashed and he let his arms slide off of Pegasus. He turned instead to look at Axel, and Axel realized that source of his initial reluctance as the boy's eyes swarmed over with a sense of sorrow. "Yeah." The singular word was nothing more than a small exhale, and it immediately made the other sorry that he'd said anything at all. Sora paused to stare blankly for a moment more before he seemed to shake himself and clear his throat. "But…what—?"

"There he is!" The two of them snapped into attention at the yell, Sora going noticeably more rigid than Axel at the unexpected shout. From up ahead, Hercules was coming back down the steps of the Coliseum, his eyes bright and a smile on his face. He had left a while ago to go and get someone; from the way he had rushed off with the eager promise, he was more than excited. And at first, Axel wasn't at all sure why he seemed to be that way. At first glance, there wasn't even anyone with him.

But apparently Sora knew differently. His face split into a wide smile, and he immediately perked. His eyes lit up like lightbulbs, and he rushed away from Pegasus' side. "Phil!" he cried out, obviously surprised but overjoyed at the same time. Sure enough, Axel caught sight of the person that had come in tow with the hero. Well…could it be called a person in the first place? It was…a goat on its hind legs? With a bizarre human top. Axel knew that there was a word for it, but at the moment all that came through his mind was the thought of: 'Oh no, do we have to socialize with it?'

Phil grinned, throwing his arms up into the air as Sora charged ahead. "There ya are, you little shrimp!" he crowed. Sora fell down to his knees and skidded the last few feet it took to throw his arms around his friend, who returned the embrace wholeheartedly. Axel stayed put where he was, a small smile coming over his face as he watched Sora. Watched him smile and run and everything in between. All that he hadn't done for years, it felt like. Again, he felt that certain kind of heavy weight lay itself over him. That sense of wary foreboding that made him stop and wonder how in the world this was happening. Or…how long it was going to stay like this, if it stayed at all.

He grimaced and quickly shooed the idea away before it could root itself too deep into his mind.

"I missed you!" Sora gasped sharply, Axel doing a small double-take at the amount of emotion that was cramped inside the three syllables. Sure enough, the boy didn't show any signs of relaxing his grip on the satyr in the slightest. He just clung fast, as if he was glued into place. "I can't believe I'm here! I can't believe I get to see you again!" Axel wilted even more, his expression slowly becoming hindered with grief as he resorted to taking a small step backwards. "This is so amazing!"

"Alright, alright, alright!" Phil snapped, swatting out his arms as Sora finally relented. Closing one eye in a small grimace, Sora smiled as he sat backwards on the ground, not even bothering to try and get up. Phil put his hands on his hips, and looked over the child with a pursed look of thought. Or…well…at least, Axel figured that they were hips. Probably. He wasn't really sure. "You were avoiding your training, weren't ya!?" he demanded. "Typical of a Junior Hero! Always finding opportunities to slack off!"

"'Junior Hero?'" Axel repeated, confused. "What's a 'Junior Hero'?"

Nobody seemed to hear the question, though. Or if they did, they didn't really think that the inquiry was important enough to address at the moment. Sora ducked his head down, his shoulders shaking with repressed laughter. The smile stayed broadly on his face, and he shook his head in a manner which gave off the message that this sort of thing was something that happened quite often. And Axel could guess that such a thing was exactly what Sora had been craving— that sense of normalcy. That kind of thought that let him take a small breath, step back, and declare: 'This is just like it used to be.' "Right," he sighed, chuffing with laughter. "Yeah, I…yeah." He seemed to be too relieved to say anything more than that.

"Well! Whatever!" Phil said dismissively. "We've got plenty of time to get you back into the swing of things! Those Heartless are everywhere nowadays; it's a real mess! We'll see if you can stand up to them after a few introductory lessons from Herc, here!" Hercules looked a little bit more withdrawn in comparison to the satyr. He resembled Axel, actually, now that he had come back to them: worried and concerned, and still a little bit on-edge as he looked down at Sora. It made sense, too. Unlike Phil, who was acting like nothing was wrong, he had seen the way that Sora had been before Panacea had worked the magic that was signature to her.

He had seen the state that Sora was left in, not only from the Organization, but from the Heartless as well. He had seen how close of a call it had been. Axel was one hundred percent certain that if Hercules had not approached him with the idea of Panacea, Sora would have definitely been a goner. He would have died from bleeding out; and if that had happened, he had no idea what would become of him. Just thinking about what he would have done if Sora had died in his arms was too painful to focus on— it hurt even more to try and think of what would have come from such a situation.

Sora's face had fallen at Phil's words. His voice was a little bit smaller as his forehead creased. "How big of a problem are the Heartless?" he asked, dreading the answer. The Land of Dragons had been swarming with the beings— was it the same everywhere else? He hadn't seen any yet; was that a good sign? Or were they all just waiting in the wings?

Phil snorted, rolling his eyes. "It ain't no trouble we can't handle, kid. Herc squashes them all out flat before they can even say: 'Whoopsie Daisy.'" Axel eyed the other skeptically, turning and looking over his shoulder each way. It was clear he was growing on-edge again after being reminded of the threat. The problem was, there was no strategy to the Heartless— not from what Axel had seen all this time. They were sporadic and awkward and weird. Pretty much the farthest thing from 'organized' as anything could get. "Everything's under control; don't even worry about it."

Sora seemed thoughtful. He looked down to study the ground, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. He drew a hand up through his hair, his fingers grazing over the spot on his temple that, before, had been split open and tightly gauzed. Now, there was nothing there. The skin was completely untouched, it looked like. "They seem to be a really big problem, lately," he said slowly, each word hung with a cautionary sense of worry. The emotion was layered on his face as well. He contemplated briefly before he drew himself up and forced a much more determined look to cover his face. "I'm going to fix all of this. It got this way because of me."

Phil started to reply, but Axel rushed to beat him to it. He took a step closer, righting that distance he had just increased. His expression sharpened in a sense of puzzlement and surprise. "What?" he asked, clearly incredulous. "Sora, you had nothing to do with this." Sora didn't react, though he did seem to grow a little bit more solemn as he looked at Phil. The satyr looked between the two, apparently lost on the relationship there. The fact was trivial though, and Axel was hardly one to stop and pay attention to such. "Nobody knows what's going on right now, Sora. Don't start blaming yourself for something that's out of our control. Out of _anyone's_ control."

Sora turned slightly, just enough so that it was clear he was directing his words to the person behind him. "I should have been here," he said, the individual words flat. "I should have been here to help fight and keep everything in control. The fact that I wasn't, and the fact that I didn't do anything while the Heartless grew, is enough to make it clear that this is partly my fault. That I can be blamed for some of it. If not the whole thing."

Axel's eyes narrowed a little bit. "You don't believe that," he snapped.

Sora turned fully at this, shooting him a look. "I don't?"

Axel opened his mouth to reply, but this time Phil was the one to interrupt. "Hey, what's really goin' on here?" he demanded. By the tone of his voice, he was almost irritated, and by this point, Axel was really having to stop himself from straight out punting him back up the steps the way he'd come. "I feel like I'm missing something about this." He looked in between the two of them, Sora taking in a small breath before looking away from Axel, who continued to look hard at him. There was a new heightened kind of look in the Nobody's eyes, and tension was slowly stringing its way through the air.

Thankfully enough, Hercules took a pace forward. "Phil, I think we should let them get back to it all," he said, a little bit uncomfortable. "They've got places to be, I think, and they should probably leave before any of the Heartless show up again."

It was a good enough excuse, and it seemed to win over Phil. Axel had to consciously keep himself back from giving a sigh of relief as the satyr gave a nod. "I guess if they've got other plans, then there's no sense in keepin' them here," he relented. "When Herc told me that one of my Junior Heroes was here for once, I couldn't very well let you off without me sayin' a hello, you know?"

This caused Sora to soften, and he regained a little bit of his smile as he gave a small laugh. "I know," he said simply. He was silent for a moment before he grinned a little bit more and added a softer: "I really did miss you." He turned and looked up at Hercules, taking this opportunity now to push himself up and regain his footing. Out of sheer habit, Axel leaned over and reached out to try and help him up. His eyes widened slightly as he caught himself offering unnecessary assistance, and he withdrew instead.

"I missed both of you," Sora went on, not noticing the small fumble as he turned to look over at the other friend that was in front of him. Hercules smiled, still looking at little unsure as to what he should do now. But they were all the same— they were all a little confused on where to go from here. There wasn't a single clear mind in the company at the moment. "But I've got to get going. Me and Axel do, I mean. Even if everything is a little fuzzy…there's got to be something better we can put ourselves to than staying here."

Hercules still seemed dubious. He looked Sora up and down, and Axel recognized the harrowed kind of anxious that resided in his gaze. "You're sure?" he asked, his voice noticeably quieter than it normally was. Something flashed in the back of Sora's eyes, yet he remained mostly the same on the outside. "You're sure you don't want to wait around here for a little bit longer? You're sure you don't need a little bit more of…a break?"

Sora offered his friend a smile, though Axel was sure to notice the fact that it didn't reach his eyes quite as much as the expression had when he had seen Phil for the first time. While that one had been shining and fully genuine, this one seemed a little bit more manufactured. But it didn't keep his voice from being any less sure. "I don't need a break," he reassured him. "I've had enough of down time lately. And besides…you've said before yourself. A hero's work is never done! There's not much time to rest anymore."

Phil gave a pointed cough, which took hold of Sora's attention and wrenched it back down to the ground where he stood. "A _Junior Hero's_!" he corrected, once again bringing up that terminology that was lost on Axel. The Nobody perked all over again, and was left to wonder what the title meant, and why such differentiation was important. He thought of asking for more clarification again, but bit the question back before it could make its appearance. He figured that, at least for now, he would remain unanswered, so he might as well keep it to himself. Besides— he could tell how much it meant to Sora in seeing his old friends and being able to say a proper goodbye for once. He wasn't about to step forward and cut through it again.

Sora laughed again and gave another nod. "Right. Same thing."

"I wouldn't be so sure, kid," Phil objected. "But I see where you're comin' from. Just don't go out there thinkin' you're something high and mighty, you hear me?" Axel had to give major allowance to Sora. This ugly goat creature wasn't even _talking_ to him, and Axel wanted to toss him out of the nearest window like he was some kind of football. Sora, on the other hand, looked like he was endeared with whatever this thing said. How in the world did _that_ make any sense? "You're no god, and you're no hero." Axel stiffened considerably with the last statement. "So you just get back here as soon as you can. For training, training, training!"

Sora swelled. He lifted up an arm and gave a slow salute. "Yes sir," he replied softly. "I'll be sure to."

Phil turned and looked over at Hercules, who nodded back in the direction they came. It was a clear enough dismissal, and so the satyr gave Sora one last nod of the head before he turned and started back for the staircase. They all watched him go for a moment, completely silent. In Axel's case at least, they were thanking the fact he was leaving so they could stop worrying about their ankles being bitten. And only when Phil was gone and out of earshot did Hercules look back and let his worried expression come full force. Sora deflated considerably at the change in expression that was all too familiar by this point, but the weariness didn't do well to ward Hercules off.

"Sora, are you sure you'll be okay?" Hercules asked, his voice a little hushed in light of what had occurred earlier. The keybearer sighed under his breath, turning and looking away a little bit as he fought the urge not to scowl. Whether it was out of frustration, irritation, or sorrow, Axel couldn't really tell. Though he did take another cautionary step forward. "I've seen you in _a lot_ of scrapes before, and I'll be the first to say that you'll get out completely fine. But…" Hercules paused for a second, strained as his gaze searched Sora's own. Eventually he sighed and finished a little lamely: "That was just…barely able to work."

"But it _did_ ," Sora replied. The words were quick to the tongue, which didn't surprise Axel at all.

"But I'm not sure there will be another chance like that, you know?" Hercules asked. He shook his head a little aimlessly. "I can't promise that if you get in another jam, you can use the same way out. Not with everything going on. And I know that if my father found out he wouldn't be pleased. He always stands by the law that gods should interfere as little as possible in the lives of mortals. It's why he didn't help when the Coliseum was attacked." He paused before going on, a little bit weaker now. "He wouldn't be happy to hear what just happened; he certainly wouldn't be happy to hear it happening _again_. And I don't want a god's wrath to be put on you along with everything else."

Axel crossed his arms tightly over his chest, biting down on his lower lip at the prospect of winding up in the same exact situation all over again. Against himself and any better judgement he may harbor, the Nobody promised himself that he would do all that was in his power to make sure that that wouldn't happen. From here on out, he and Sora were on the same playing field, if there was even a field to begin with. He would keep Sora safe, if Sora was stubborn enough to demand a hand in this fight. Sora had given his life for his, in the truth of the matter. Axel was willing to do the same exact thing. Looking at him now, and the worn expression that was on the boy's face, he told himself that he would do all he could to keep him out of harm's way. Or…at the very least, he would make sure Sora did not bear the brunt of harm's blows.

In response to Hercules' warning, Sora just doled out yet another smile. One that, again, barely reached his eyes. "Then I'll make sure it won't happen again," he stated, as if the answer was the easiest concept to grasp in the world. And maybe, in technicality, it kind of was. But they all knew that there was much more to the promise than what was on the very surface. More than what could be encompassed by just those eight words.

Hercules still looked dubious, but his eyes flickered over to Axel, and he caught sight of the way that the other had sidled subconsciously closer to Sora, who was unaware of the change. Something went through the gladiator's eyes, and he seemed to draw his own conclusion. His fear began to melt away into something akin to relief, and he slowly began to nod. "Alright," he said, watching as the younger boy straightened just a little bit with the easy win. "I trust you." He looked over at Axel as these words slipped out of his mouth, and there seemed to be a sudden weight thrusted onto the Nobody's shoulders. The meaningful look that was shot his way was clear enough.

'Keep him safe.'

Axel hesitated for a moment, merely holding the stare with his own level one. Then he nodded his head once, in an affirmative and determined manner. After all, he wasn't planning on doing anything else. Not by a long shot.

Hercules turned back to Sora and grinned now, fully recovered. "You just go out there and do what you do best. Wiping out some Heartless!"

Sora's gaze flickered a little bit at the command, and when he smiled, the expression was chipped and uneasy. But he didn't let that stop him. "You know it!" he chirped. The two of them reached out and high fived, holding tight to each other's hands for a brief moment as they smiled. Again, there was that sense of familiarity that came with the gesture, which established the fact that it had been done many times over. Letting go and stepping back almost came as a regret from Sora, whose expression grew just a little bit sadder. "I'll be back," he promised quietly. "I know I will. I'll come back when this is all over."

Hercules smirked. "Of course you will. I don't know what I would do without my Junior Hero."

There was that weird title again!

Sora started to turn back for Axel, prepared to leave. However, at the last second, he did a double take. His expression darkened for a split second. He quickly regretted moving; he turned and rushed back to Hercules, throwing out his arms and rushing towards his friend. He locked his arms tightly around his middle and clung fast, just like he had with Phil. His eyes closed tightly, and he took in a quick breath that rasped against his throat. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice shaking now like a leaf in the wind. His voice was barely able to be heard, but at the same time, there wasn't an option _not_ to hear it. He might as well have been screaming.

Hercules was caught off-guard with the sudden embrace. But he quickly warmed and softened, leaning over to pull Sora close to his chest. Axel weakened a little bit as he realized that, even though Sora wasn't suffering from any outward injuries anymore, Hercules still seemed to handle him with a great amount of care. He had to lean down quite a bit in order to hug Sora, despite the fact that Sora was on his toes. "You be careful, okay?" he asked softly. Sora swallowed back a lump in his throat, having to concentrate in order to do so. "I'll be here. If you need help…if you need anything at all…we won't be going anywhere."

Sora's voice was still soft and constricted. "I know."

Hercules pulled back a little bit, searching the younger's face. "I mean it," he said, his voice bracing now as he grew much sterner. His arms fell away from Sora, and, albeit hesitantly, Sora followed suit. "I might not have any idea what's going on…and you don't have to tell me…but…I don't want to see you like that ever again. Okay? You've got to keep tough."

Sora attempted the feat of another smile. However, it came across as weak and fractured. "Of course. You won't. I promise. I swear."

Hercules' eyes flickered once more over to Axel. This entire time, he had been standing closely behind Sora, lingering like a shadow. He hadn't spoken much at all— he was not only leaving Sora the space that he knew he needed with his friends, but he was also too busy thinking. There was a worried frown on his face, one that conveyed just how torn he was about his whole situation. And again, he felt that sting of responsibility as Hercules turned to look at him once more. It was responsibility that he was going to take to heart, of course. It was a responsibility he would not forget or let go of for…well, until this all ended.

Yet as the thought crossed his mind, he had to wonder if an absolute 'end' was actually possible.

By this point, he was starting to think that it wasn't.

"Alright," Hercules said, regaining his easygoing expression. "I'll hold you to it, then." He straightened up and stood fully now, taking a step back from Sora. He looked between the two of them decisively for a moment before he cleared his throat and grinned. "I'll let you get to it, then. You be careful out there; we'll be careful over here."

Sora offered a thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan."

He hummed out a small laugh. For a split second, he just stood and looked over Sora, as if he was trying to commit him to memory. Sora did the same, not brave enough himself to break the silence. He let Hercules finish what had been started, and thankfully enough, he did undertake the task. He reached over and clapped a hand down on Sora's shoulder, however lightly. "Bye, Sora," he bode a little softly. "Good luck. And I'll see you soon; don't forget."

He turned and started after Phil. Sora blinked slowly and watched him go, seeming a little subdued as his hands curled and uncurled routinely at his sides. Axel glanced at him; he was a little lost on what he was supposed to do. Should he let him be? Should he try and offer him some kind of comfort? Did he need any? Just as Axel was about to step forward and offer some kind of touch for solace, Sora turned back and gave him a small nod. "We need to go," he said simply, his voice a little bit hollow. Yet there was no mistaking that somewhere in the very back part of his mind, he was excited. Excited and relieved that he was finally able to be back and be in charge of himself. But the emotion was far back, as if it came from the part of himself that was still struggling to reach up to the surface.

Axel looked at him for a long moment. Then he cleared his throat. "We should meet back with the others," he said, finally giving into the other's argument. "If we go back and reconvene with everyone, at least we'll have better numbers. That way if…if something…goes _wrong_ with this entire thing, we'll have some more support."

He would have thought that the mention of going back – of returning to his friends – would send Sora straight over the moon. He had no idea what to do when Sora merely stared right back at him. There wasn't even the smallest hint of enthusiasm with the offer. Not even microscopically. This was enough to steer Axel off-track, and he tilted his head to the side, his worry driving him over the edge with this last hiccup. "Sora, are you okay?" he asked. "You seem…" He trailed off, not really that enthusiastic in finishing.

Sora raised his eyebrows. "I seem what?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Axel blustered. "I just…I don't know." The words sounded lame on his tongue, but he was sure that it sounded even lamer on the receiving end of things. He winced and closed his eyes tightly, holding back a heavy sigh as he instead backed up to elaborate. "We'll go back, then, alright? We'll just…go back, and explain ourselves, and it'll all turn out alright. We'll figure out what's going on— on all sides. We'll figure it out and make an actual, unified plan. That's the best thing to do from here on out."

Sora looked to the side, and for a heartbeat, Axel was worried that he was staring off into space, or having some other mental lapse. But after a long moment, he did speak. Though the words he said weren't at all supporting to any kind of morale Axel was trying to establish. "Or…" Sora turned, looking at Axel with a new kind of stare. One that was almost desperate. "Or maybe we could go and just try and find out what's happening ourselves…" Axel blinked rapidly, doing yet another double-take. "It'll take too long to go back and talk with them— we already lost a lot of time. We need to make things right _now_."

"Sora, that's a stupid idea, and you know it," Axel pressed. "We've _got_ to get back to the others, okay?" Sora frowned, twisting away again. But this time, Axel followed him, leaning to the side to keep their stares locked, even if it was against the other's will. "They're probably worried sick by now; I took you away from them without warning. They're probably _royally_ angry with me. And you really should have seen how they were acting once they found your note and realized what you'd done." Sora drew tighter into himself, his hands fisting tightly now.

He could see that it was bothering him, and something warned Axel that maybe he shouldn't keep going or press. But he did so anyway— mainly because he just wanted some _answers_ for once. He didn't want confusion or problems— he wanted _answers_ ; he wanted _solutions_. "You can't avoid them for forever, Sora. Haven't you stopped to think yet about what they thought? What they were afraid of when they woke up and saw that you were gone?"

He paused for a second to gauge Sora's reaction. When he went on, his voice was much softer. "What about Kairi, Sora?" This earned a very noticeable reaction— one of discomfort and regret and maybe something else that wasn't as easy to decipher. "She was out of her mind, from the second I saw her, to the second that I left. When you were unconscious, she was sitting right at your side, watching over you. I swear, it was almost annoying, you know? The way she was so worried." There was a pregnant pause in between the two of them. His voice was strained as he added: "Are you really not wanting to go back to them? To _her_ , at least?"

"I want to fix things, first," Sora said, his voice a bit harsher now. "I want to make things right before I go back."

"Sora, this isn't some situation that can resolve itself overnight," Axel snapped. "And it's certainly not something you can do by yourself."

"I won't be doing anything by myself," Sora retorted. "I'll have you with me."

He blew out a sigh of air. "Yeah, but you know what I mean, Sora." He started to say something more, when he seemed to think better of it. He turned, looking from one direction to the other. His expression sharpened more into one of caution. They couldn't stay here. He was surprised already at how long they had gone without any Heartless attacking. He turned and threw his arm out to the side, a black portal springing up to life. Sora's eyes widened a little bit in befuddlement, but Axel just nodded towards the entryway. "C'mon," he said. "It's not safe to just wait around here."

Sora turned to throw one last look over his shoulder, back at the Coliseum and where his friends had disappeared. But then he turned back and followed instructions, ducking through the shadows first, so that Axel could bring up the rear. He did so quickly, not even anxious to let the boy out of his sight for more than a few seconds. Emerging into the darkness, he was relieved to see Sora waiting for him. Who knew whether or not he would split again?

He cleared his throat, coming to a stop as he closed the portal behind him. At least they knew that there wouldn't be any Heartless around here. Maybe Nobodies…but there certainly hadn't been as many of those as there had been Heartless. Axel took a moment to try and gather his thoughts, taking in a slow breath before he spoke. "Okay. So. We go back, alright? Riku will probably stab me before I can even get out a 'Hello' but, as long as—"

"We need to find Merlin!"

Axel perked at the interruption. He tilted his head to the side. "Excuse me?"

"We need to find Merlin!" Sora repeated. When Axel continued to just stare at him, he pressed on. "Nobody knows where he went; he didn't leave a note or anything. Even _I_ left a note. He's got to be onto something, right? We need to catch up to him. And if we catch up to him, maybe he can tell us if this change is permanent or not for me. Or— maybe that's what he's doing! Maybe he's searching for some kind of fix for me! If that's the case, he needs to know that I'm okay! We need to tell him so that he can come back and help everyone else too!"

Axel listened, completely silent. His eyebrows were slightly raised and pulled together, in a sense of not only surprise, but sorrow as well. Once Sora was finished, he looked at the other expectantly, waiting for a reaction. Unfortunately, the reaction was probably not anything that he wanted. "Why don't you want to see them, Sora?" he asked softly. Sora deflated immediately, his face falling. Axel stepped forward, putting his hands on either of his shoulders. "You're fine now, right! Right now you're perfectly fine! So why don't you—?"

Sora stepped backwards abruptly, pulling away. "I just don't."

This wasn't Sora. Not at all. "Why not?" Axel asked. "I'm sure they would be more than happy to see you safe and sound! I know I was!" His eyes narrowed, and he took a small step closer, leaning down a bit to try and level with him a little bit more. "Look at me, Sora," he requested, trying not to sound too harsh. But at the same time, it was hard to keep himself in check. After all this time, it was near impossible not to feel the sear of frustration or anxiousness. "What's going on with you? Your friends are _so_ worried, Sora. They really are. They—"

"They left!" Sora snapped, abruptly cutting into his words. Axel blinked rapidly, jerking backwards as if he had been slapped across the face. Sora's stare was sharpened into anger, and he glared at Axel, as if he was the source of all of his problems. But he knew better than that. Or at least, he told himself that he did. He paused for a moment, breathing a little bit unevenly. He turned, putting his side to the other hurriedly. His voice was softer when he repeated himself. "They left. They _all_ did. They all left me, and I just want to find Merlin." His voice was strained and curt. He was saying as little as he could, but he was but telling a whole lot more. "I don't want to go back yet. I don't want them to look at me in that— in that _way_ that they always do!"

"What way, Sora?" Axel demanded. "You're fine now! They won't—"

"The way that _you_ look at me sometimes!" Sora's eyes flashed as soon as he said this, and he turned a little bit, taking it back slowly. Axel wasn't sure if it was because he really wanted to fix himself, or because he just saw the hurt that was on his face. "You don't do it as much. But I can't take it. I can't take the looks of pity, and the way that they stare at me when they think I can't see them." He paused before: "I saw how you acted with Hercules— you still looked at me like I was dying."

Axel looked at him steadily, his arms crossing over his chest. His eyes narrowed just a little bit, and he let silence build itself in between them like a wall. The silence was a product of quite a few things, but mostly Axel was just taking Sora in. Aware of the attention, and of the fact that it was quite unasked for, Sora started to turn away again. However, this only drove home the idea that was growing in Axel's mind, and before he could allow himself the chance to rethink his motives and take it all back, he knocked down the wall bridging them apart. "That's not the reason," Axel stated, watching as Sora immediately stiffened. Encouraged, he continued. "That's not the reason. I _know_ it's not. You would never hold anything like that against your friends."

"I wouldn't?" Sora demanded, attempting to force a sense of defiance into his voice.

But Axel was insistent. He just shook his head once. "Nope. I know you. Your _friends_ know you. It was why they decided to do what they did in the first place. _I'm_ angry they left you behind. _You_ were angry that they left you behind too— but the difference between us, is that I'm still bent out of shape about it. They left to fight against the Heartless because they knew that you wouldn't hold anything against them; and they were right. Because you're not angry about them trying to fix this whole mess. You could never be angry at them for that."

Sora's eyes were slowly widening. He closed his mouth tightly and locked his jaw backwards. For a moment, Axel thought that he was going to go so far as to argue further. He was prepared for exasperation, of course, given how much of a stubborn kid Sora had proven himself to be throughout the past. However, he found himself almost wishing that Sora had reacted in such a way instead of what actually happened. Instead, Sora just deflated, resembling a balloon that had suddenly lost all of its air. His expression crumbled, and he looked down, suddenly unable to even come close to meeting Axel's stare.

"I'm not ready," he mumbled, his voice much weaker with the confession.

Axel blinked, his arms sliding down to his sides. His eyebrows raised. He could literally feel the sadness and the pity cloud over every inch of his features.

Sora closed his eyes tightly now. His voice somehow got even smaller. "I can't face them," he whispered. "Not now. I can't look at them and…and know…I…I just can't." He sounded tired now, as if he had just finished running for hours on end, and wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for years. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, letting his nails curl down into his skull. "I don't want to. I can't. To look at all of them and know…that I wasn't good enough— that I haven't been good enough."

"You _are_ good enough, Sora," Axel protested. "You _always_ have been."

"No!" he shouted, Axel going a little surprised by the change in volume. Sora looked as though he immediately regretted the rushed yelp, though, and he sighed wearily before he shook his head. "No," he said, quieter. "I'm not. And I _won't_ be. Until I make things right for myself. Until I finally get to be even the _slightest bit_ of what I used to be." His voice was getting thicker and thicker as he spoke, and it was getting harder and harder to wrench each word from his tongue. "Because up until this point, I have been _nothing._ " He looked up now, and Axel was completely beaten as those miserable blue eyes were raised to meet his own. "I need to get back," he murmured pathetically. "I need to get _back_ , otherwise I'll _never_ be able to look at any of them."

Axel was struggling by this point to remain in sure footing on his stance to go back to the rest. Though he was quickly feeling the ground slide out from underneath him. "You don't need to blame yourself, Sora. For anything," he rasped. "This isn't what you need to do." Sora didn't say anything; he just stared at his friend with that brokenhearted gaze. Floundering a bit for the right words, Axel tried: "We need to go back. To them. They can help you— it doesn't _have_ to be just me."

Sora stayed exactly how he was, staring hollowly at his friend.

Axel tried to find something else he could say. He was suddenly coming up blank, floored underneath the weight of what had just been revealed to him, and all that it meant.

As quickly as it had been destroyed, that wall of silence sprung back up in between them.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Thank you."

The two words were almost too congested with emotion to be properly heard. And the two syllables were enough to bring a sense of happiness to Axel, and also one of slight guilt as well. But he kept himself in check and just doled out a small smile. Because after all, that was the primary sensation. He knew that there wasn't much point in getting worked up over things; the others would find them soon enough, if Axel knew that specific group as well as he thought he did. They would find them soon enough, and then things would fall into place. Sora would go back to his friends, and he would see that it didn't matter what had happened before. That he was still the same person, no matter what.

It would happen eventually— there was no denying the fact. So there had been no point in fighting against Sora or making him feel any worse by dragging him back by his collar. Besides…there was a good enough chance that Sora was right, and they could track Merlin down, and maybe Merlin could be able to help.

That was…well, that was what he told himself, really. It was an easier fact to swallow than the idea that he just couldn't stand seeing Sora so upset, or so broken-down.

He was an enabler; that was for sure. If the term even applied in a situation like this. Currently, they were standing in the darkened forest of Halloween Town, the only light source being from the full moon that was overhead. The light was cold and dim at the same time, but Sora looked as if he couldn't be happier. His eyes were bright, not hindered down. He looked around him in a full circle, drinking in every single little detail that was around him.

Axel grinned. "Yeah, yeah," he said, his voice slinking into its normal easygoing stride, despite everything. "Don't say I never did anything for you, alright? You need to stop making me stick out my neck for you. It's ridiculous."

Sora smiled, brightening like a sun.

Like the Sora he knew better.

The smile on Axel's face grew a little bit more genuine.

Sora turned and threw out his arm, tensing his hand and calling forward his keyblade. Sure enough, in a flash of light, the weapon was called up into his grip, and Sora's eyes gleamed with relief as he swiped his arm through the air experimentally. He forgot what it felt like to be able to swing his weapon without pain or without awkwardness. He had been forced to use his left arm ever since his right one had been snapped. Now, just like everything else, he was suddenly being given the opportunity all over again.

"Look at you," Axel mused from where he stood. "Big high and might keyblade guy, getting ready to mow down a few Heartless." Already, half of his mind was elsewhere, monitoring the area around him. This place didn't have some beefed-up gladiator god to take out a majority of the things. This place already seemed like the perfect hot spot for them; it was certainly creepy enough to serve as a home. Axel could see what looked like a few eyes glittering out from the shadows here and there; but at the same time, he felt a sting of weirded-out irritability when he wondered whether that was Heartless, or…just whatever the heck lived here on a daily basis.

He turned back to Sora, trying to keep as collected as possible. After his friend's small breakdown, he was not anxious at all to stop and see how much farther it could all go. He wanted to make this all as easy as he possibly could. He wanted to make sure Sora was happy, and he would do that by enabling him and 'giving' him what he wanted for as long as he could. But he would also make sure that he was safe and protected— that he wouldn't get hurt any more than he had in the past. Subconsciously, as the thought crossed his mind, Axel took a small step closer to the boy.

"You think you're out of practice with that arm?" he asked, smiling crookedly. "Think I can take out more Heartless than you?"

Sora was still moving his arm— up and down, left and right. He studied the weapon that was in his hands and seemed to be thinking hard, going by the crease in his forehead. Axel was a little off-put by the lapse in attention, especially now. The way that Sora was looking at his arm was bringing him to his nerves a bit, and he cleared his throat. "You'll probably win, regardless of whatever I do," he said, now attempting to pass off his smile as one that was not _as_ awkward. Still, nothing, and he shifted a little uneasily. "So? What do you say?" He raised his voice a little bit. "You want to go track down some Heartless? That's what we came here to do, right?"

"What happened to them all?" Sora asked, his voice nothing more than a small rasp.

Axel stopped short. He blinked a few times before: "What happened to who?"

Sora's eyes did not stray from his arm. "The other members. Of the Organization. What happened to them?"

There was a long stretch of nothing. Axel was too shocked and caught off-guard by the random topic to react at first. He frowned, confused. What in the world? "You're asking a question you already know the answer to," Axel pointed out, quirking an eyebrow. Sora just looked at him expectantly: waiting. He gave a small cough to clear his throat. "They're all dead. You know that; Merlin told you that. It was one of the first things that was said to you when you woke up."

"All of them, though?" Sora pressed, looking at him hard. It was like he was trying to run some kind of lie detector test. If Axel wasn't so puzzled, he might have been offended by the notion that he would lie to him about something as big as this. "They're all dead? Are you sure? Every last one of them?"

Axel's green eyes searched his blue ones. "Sora…if you're worried about anyone coming back for you, I'll be the first to promise that—"

"Answer me, Axel," Sora requested a little thinly. "Are they all dead? Are you _positive_?"

"I…yes!" he said quickly, finally spitting out the answer. "Yes, Sora, they're all dead. Your friends made sure of it, when they were trying to get you out of the castle. None of them are alive; we haven't seen them ever since that night." Sora's eyes flashed at this, and again, there was that weird aura of thought around him. Axel shook his head. "Why would you ask like that? Is there something wrong? Is there something I don't know about?" He wouldn't be surprised, but at the same time, he knew that the shot was a million to one. Not even that— it was nonexistent. The Organization was wiped out. Done. Finished. Completely.

Sora looked down at the ground briefly, his mouth setting down into a firm line. Already engraved in his mind was the cloaked figure he had seen in The Land of Dragons; the one that Mulan claimed she had not been able to see. How it had stood, motionless, just staring at Sora, as if its only goal was to have him catch a glimpse of it. There was a lump in his throat, and Sora fought quickly to swallow it back down. No. That was stupid. He was probably just seeing things; there was nothing more to it than that. He had been so wrought with fear and the tension of being found out by his friends that he had just scared himself into thinking something was there when really the opposite was true.

Of course it hadn't been someone from the Organization. They were all dead.

"Right." He forced himself to perk and straighten as he curled the edges of his lips up into a smile. Axel seemed skeptical at the turn-around, but Sora went on before he could try and object or weasel anything out of him. "I know. That's right, I was just…I was just making sure." The excuse was lame at the very best, and he tried his best not to wince away from it visibly.

Instead he just turned and shook himself, bright-eyed as he took in a sharp breath. "Okay. Heartless! Let's get to work! This place has to be crawling with them!" He turned and started to rush away, slinging his keyblade over his shoulder like he always did. He drew comfort from the thudding of his own feet, and the swiftness of his movements that were now entirely painless and natural. He was back. He was fine. That's what he told himself. Everything was going to be just fine.

Axel stared after him for a brief moment, his lips a little pursed as he tried to sort through the strange conversation. Sora had seemed bothered by something— something that he wasn't telling him. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrows pulled together in not only puzzlement, but also wariness. He turned back front, trying to recollect himself as he turned to jog after Sora, trying to catch up to him. He reminded himself to ask for more answers later. Right now, in knowing that any second, Sora's friends could pop up and drag Sora back _for_ him, he kept silent.

Most likely, it wasn't even important. Just a worry that was deep-seated, and very well warranted at the same time. It wasn't as pressing as the Heartless were, or his goal to keep Sora safe.

To do that, though, Axel needed to focus. He shoved the thought aside and put a pin in it, trying to remember to keep it on hand when he could. For now, he just willed his weapons into his hands, gripping them tightly as he kept close to his friend. Keep Sora safe. That was his end goal now, and it was one that he was going to abide to. If he could keep Sora safe and sound, he will have done all he could, and all he wanted to do. So it was no wonder that any other thought was immediately clouded.

Just keep him safe. He just had to make sure he was okay.

And then everything would be just fine.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Again, words cannot describe the amount of guilt I feel in leaving this story hanging for a while. Hopefully as I am in summer now, I can work around my job and update more frequently for this story in particular. It always worries me for a number of reasons, and I am just really thankful that people are sticking with me! I do have _so so much_ planned: things that will really take off after this chapter! Do not think that my leave has come out of lack of ideas! I'm excited to actually get them all down for once, instead of just letting them pile up in my head.

Hopefully I can hear from you all again! I've really missed it! And thank you again for your patience. Having multiple stories going, and now having a nine-hour workday every day is really really hard, and the fact that you all are so sweet about it is so touching! I hope this made up for the break, and I hope I can come back really soon! Thank you again!

As always, any concerns or questions, I would be more than happy to talk with anyone about!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I would like to apologize for my lack of presence. I work nine hours a day most days, and I do have four stories going on at once. You all are so sweet and understanding, though, I appreciate you all the most. Please go and look at the poll on my profile. I'm kind of swamped at the moment, and really stressing, so please help me out a little bit. Just trying to gauge each story and how they're doing. It will certainly make things easier for me if I can see the numbers for each one, so I can make my next decision pretty easily. I would much rather prefer nudging my least popular story off of my plate. And this one has been worrying me for quite some time.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

'Dodge that one. Before it can hit you.'

 _You're going to stop messing around like this, and you're going to do what we want, when we want._

 _'_ That one's coming from the side. Don't let it catch you off-guard.'

 _It doesn't matter what you think, and if you haven't grasped that simple concept, then you'll find yourself in a whole lot of trouble._

'Fake left. Parry and then strike.'

 _If you don't obey, there are going to be consequences._

'Don't let that blow stop you. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. Just roll with the momentum and recover.'

 _There is nobody to blame but yourself._

'Incoming. Duck down _now_.'

 _Have you had enough?_

He attempted to ignore it— to ignore all the voices and all the phrases that managed to cram themselves into his mind. But then again, 'ignore' might not be the best word to use in describing it, even. He wasn't ignoring it, so much as he was struggling to cover up whatever memory leaked its way forward with these step-by-step directions. Usually he never thought through fights like this; not with simple Heartless like these, even if there was a swarm of them. It was because he was so _practiced_ at it. He had gone through far too much, and he had fought far too many battles with these shadows. The movements, and the second sense of where things were— those skills were engraved in his mind with writing far too permanent for him to probably ever forget.

But there were other things that were somehow even harder to lose grip on.

So he was dragged up every battle skill and every tactic that he could, and he brought it to the very forefront of his mind, in the hopes that everything else would be shoved to the back. But no matter how hard he focused on these miniscule and frankly-unneeded orders, everything else kept hovering right where it always was. Where it always stuck like disgusting residue you couldn't wipe off of yourself, no matter how hard you scrubbed, and no matter how hard you tried.

He knew that it wasn't working; only an idiot would think that this was actually the best case scenario. But he kept it up, struggling to focus only on every step that he took, and every dodge that he ducked. He thought through every last movement that he could possibly make. So much so, that when it was all done with, he hardly even registered. At first, all that he registered was the burning and the aching in his muscles and the tightness of his chest, as his lungs struggled to yank air down into them. And, against himself, he just staggered a little bit to the side, continuing to spoon-feed distractions desperately.

'Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't fall. Don't think about it, either. Just try and relax. Relax.'

"Sora?" He roused at the cautious call that echoed itself over to him, his overworked concentration broken through the middle. He blinked rapidly and turned, looking over his shoulder to see Axel. Right— right, he had slipped Sora's mind. They had been walking through the woods, trying to get over into town, so that they could check that everyone was alright, and whether or not Merlin had been seen or spoken to. But they had been ambushed by a swarm of Heartless, and— and well, that was where his mind had gone haywire in its desperation to remain collected. He had been so focused on what he was doing, he hadn't thought once about Axel, or whether he was doing okay in the fight.

The thought was daunting at first, and he wasn't sure what to do with it.

So he did what was slowly becoming natural to him, and he shoved it aside to look back on later.

"What?" he asked, noticing for the first time that his breathing was far too quick and short. His gasps were hardly enough to fill his lungs, and, now that he was finally able to refocus, he was alarmed at the fact that his head was spinning like a top. He was forced to stumble a little bit to the side, catching himself before he tripped and fell over completely. Immediately, Axel's worry flared, and he took a few rushing steps forward. But before he could reach Sora, the other recovered. He reached up and rubbed at his forehead, cringing a bit before he cleared his throat and just repeated himself again. "What?"

"You look like you're going to keel over," Axel said, pointing out the obvious. He kept walking forward so that he could be at Sora's shoulder, though his steps were a bit more cautious than they were before. "Are you alright?" Sora didn't react at first. He had the nerve to make it seem as though he had not heard in the first place. Instead, he just turned and looked down the path that led into town, looking thoughtful as he shifted his feet. The action only made Axel even more exasperated. His eyes flashed, and he put his hands on his hips. " _Sora_?" he snapped.

"I'm fine!" Sora flashed back, his words just as snippy as Axel's as he turned to look back at him. Though Axel noticed that his shoulders were tenser than normal— they were sort of drawn up and into him, as if he was trying to brace himself against something. Sora seemed to realize this a little slower than the other did. He forced himself to relax and backtracked so he could right himself. "I'm fine," he repeated, his voice noticeably softer. He turned away once more, a frown weighing itself heavily over his face. Again, that thoughtful stare crept over his face, shrouding it in confusion and skepticism.

Axel's own expression cleared, in contrast. He tilted his head to the side. "What?" he asked, immediately picking up on that sense of dread that was so easy to get, nowadays. Ever since this whole thing with the Heartless had started, paranoia was basically hovering in the air like a shadow, for anyone to catch onto. It was kind of a hard thing to shake, when you were basically looking over your shoulder for a hidden enemy every five seconds. "Are there more?" he asked, inwardly groaning already. That was already a pretty huge wave to deal with— even larger than the wave that they had found when he was with Hercules. And, looking at the way that Sora was holding himself and breathing heavily, Axel doubted he could even keep fighting.

But just in case, he started to edge forward, closer to Sora.

"No, no, it's not that," Sora brought himself to reply after a heartbeat of silence.

Axel perked a little bit, now finding that it was his turn to be confused. "What do you mean, 'no'?" he demanded, looking from Sora, to the town. "What are you looking at then, if it's not Heartless?" Sora glanced down at his keyblade, his forehead still creased over and marked with befuddlement. Axel reached up and rubbed at his own face, holding back a sigh of frustration. "Hey, I have a bright idea!" he said suddenly, raising his voice into a small shout. Sora jerked with the surprise, but he ignored it, just shaking his head quickly. "Let's _not_ act _really_ weird and grim in the middle of a pitch-black forest surrounded by graves that have who-knows-what in them!"

Sora blinked, the edges of his lips slowly turning upwards in a small smile. "You're scared by this place?" he asked, his eyes flashing.

He almost did a double-take from the stupidity of the question. Going nearly fast enough to give himself whiplash, Axel turned and looked at everything around them. At the bare, arching trees, and the shadows that seemed to twitch and have some lives of their own. With the frigid breeze that hissed past his ear, and the random sounds of snapping twigs behind him that didn't seem to have any source at all, he wondered how in the world anyone could _not_ be horrified of this place. It was like something out of some kid's nightmare. "Am I _scared_ by this place!?" he repeated, wildly incredulous. "Well of—" Sora's smile was slowly growing bigger, and Axel quickly realized himself, going a little stiff as he cut himself off. He soured, pressing his lips together. "No," he all but growled, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course not. That's a…that's a dumb thing to say."

He grinned now, his smile fully developed. Whatever he had been thinking of before, or whatever his mind had snagged back on and dragged his attention away briefly, seemed to be thrown completely out the window. Initially, Axel was going to snap him back and demand that he say what had been bothering him; because it did look like something was niggling at him from the inside out. But before he could bring himself to do anything of the sort, it dawned on him that he had not seen Sora this way in what felt like a long time. He couldn't even bring to mind the last time that he saw his eyes gleam like that. Or that same mischievous smile and laughing haughtiness. Not completely on its own, like this was. He had been happy when he had realized that he'd been healed by Panacea, but that was different. This was…well, it was like he used to be. Silly. Aloof.

It was the way he had started out, when he had been held by the Organization. Axel remembered having to look away or stifle a few laughs whenever he had shot something crude and witty over in Xaldin's direction. He had been broken soon after, and ever since then, Axel had been waiting to see this look come back over his face. Now it was here. And without fail, Sora started to bubble over with laughter. "You're scared!?" he pressed, trying – and failing miserably – to stifle more giggles. "This is crazy!" he chortled. " _You_!? I thought you were the tough one that never felt a single thing!"

He twitched, reaching over and pushing his shoulder away gently. He struggled to frown, and not show how happy this idiot somehow had the ability to make him. "Oh, _please_ ," he huffed. Then, he shook his head quickly. "You know, _technically_ , I can't feel anything. We Nobodies are unable to feel the natural, human touch of emotion, like some over-privileged _kids_ take for _granted_. I thought _you_ , of _all_ people, would be able to understand this general concept in which—"

"You're unbelievable," Sora sighed, smirking as he looked away for a moment, his hands going up on his hips as if to say: 'Look at what I have to deal with.' He took in a slow breath, and when he turned back to Axel, his expression had reverted back into a sober, earnest look. Axel started to do the same, suddenly backtracking to wonder whether or not he was going to actually open up and tell him what had been bugging him. He reached up to grab the Nobody's shoulder, and lower him down a little bit so that he was more eye-level with him. "I have something important to tell you, though," he murmured, his voice lowered significantly. "I think you'll be interested in it."

Axel's eyebrows rose just a little bit. "What?" he asked. Again, his eyes flickered over Sora, to look over towards the entrance of the town. The dread that he had been momentarily able to forget was slowly itching back underneath his skin, like some rash he couldn't shake. "What is it?"

Sora leaned up close, nearly on his toes, to be able to reach up to his ear. When he started to speak, his voice was nothing but a hissing whisper. "One time, when I was here with Donald and Goofy, we saw this _clown_ , that had _no_ arms, or legs. It was all hunkered down underneath one of these trees— it likes to hide in these forests. And when it saw us, it started to _crawl_ over to us, in this _grotesque_ way. And before we could do anything, it completely _ripped Goofy's face off_. And I'm _pretty_ sure it's still around here somewhere, waiting to rip off someone _else's_ face."

Axel locked his jaw backwards, his eyes narrowing into angry slits as he pulled away roughly. "Goofy still has a face, Sora! If you're going to make up some stupid story, you should put a little bit more effort into it!" he snapped, watching with a scowl as the boy doubled over. He had to hold his stomach tightly as he started to crack up. He could hardly breathe through his laughter. One side of Axel's mouth twitched upwards, but he still tried to retain some face. So he rolled his eyes, batting him away. "You're ridiculous," he scoffed. "I can't believe you."

" _I_ can't believe you're _scared_ ," Sora chuckled, righting himself so that he could stand again. He turned to look back towards the town, his smile widening as he turned to start towards it. The lights were dim and barely there at all, but compared to the forest, it was more than visible. It was almost glaring, if such a thing was possible.

Axel watched him go for a moment or two more. His small smile vanished briefly, and he hesitated, merely watching him with a blank expression. After this reluctance, he started to fall into step behind his friend. Softly, he gave out a small mutter underneath his breath, which he knew that Sora would possible be completely unable to hear. All the same, he grumbled out a short: "I'm _not_ scared."

The younger of the two kept going, not hearing a single syllable, just like he thought. However, before they could take more than five steps forward, Sora suddenly stopped dead his tracks and whipped around to face Axel. Before he could do anything, the keybearer threw out his arms, waving them wildly as he let out an earsplitting screech. Immediately, Axel jerked backwards with his own scream, bursts of fire accidentally sparking up around him in a sign of shock. Sora reeled, collapsing entirely this time, as he held his sides.

Axel straightened and went stiff, embarrassment and just the tiniest smidge of amusement flushing his face. He glowered down at Sora, who was now on his back, laying down on the forest floor and trying not to fall apart from laughter. "Stop," Axel snapped, biting down on his lower lip to keep him in check before he could burst out as well. He leaned over, tapping his foot against his friend's side blandly. "I should have let you just figure out your own way to get healed," he huffed bad-temperedly. "You have a funny way of showing gratitude, kid."

Sora gasped in between each hiccup. "I'm sorry!" he snorted. "I'm sorry, I just haven't— it's just funny that—" He didn't finish. He couldn't really; he was in too many pieces.

Axel breathed out a huff of air, closing his eyes briefly. But he recovered quickly; it was impossible not to. He softened up and smiled wide, shaking his head as if to ask: 'Well, what can you do?' "You're ridiculous," he repeated, this time much more affectionate than before. Sora looked up at him and smiled toothily— Axel returned the gesture. "C'mere," Axel chuffed, leaning down and grabbing his hand tight. He leaned back and helped to hoist him up. Sora accepted the help, and Axel realized with a stroke of relief that, at least for now, that bright expression splayed across his face didn't seem to be going anywhere.

He hadn't been sure that this would be the right thing to do, but now at least Axel knew that Sora would have a _bit_ of happiness. It had been forever since he'd gotten the chance, right? His friends would come along, and they would be found out; it was inevitable. But at least for the time being, Sora would have his smile back. So it was enough to let Axel be sure of the fact that this was the right decision, in a roundabout way. And it was enough to make his voice brighter and stronger when he spoke up next. "Let's keep going."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The town was completely silent and deserted. The only sound was the subtle whisper of the wind that scraped by the towering buildings, or the quiet bubbling of the fountain, which still stood as its centerpiece. The two slowly came to a stop in the middle of the square, not at all sure what they were supposed to do in the emptiness that greeted them. Axel seemed vexed at the silence, but Sora wore an expression that was ten times as bothered. He frowned, his blue eyes grave as they flickered through the area around him, trying to take stock of every little thing. But there wasn't much to memorize and card through. The place was bare.

"I thought you said you had friends here," Axel said, his forehead creased and furrowed. When Sora didn't bring himself to reply, he added in a snarky mumble: "Unless you count each and every individual stone as your friend, which I don't doubt that you _do_ , I assume that you were a little bit misguided in your claim." His voice turned a tad bit distasteful as he looked over to take in the fountain. Every time a drop of water would spray out onto the concrete, there was soft sizzling noise, and he was starting to wonder whether it was just green water at all. Was it _actually_ acid? Or maybe some other stupid thing like that?

… _Why_?

"No, there are usually people _everywhere_ ," Sora murmured, getting more and more distressed with each passing second. Skeptical, he was looking this way and that, slowly dethatching from Axel and starting forward again. The other was oblivious, just staring at the stone fixture in front of him, wondering whether or not it would be a smart idea to reach in and touch whatever liquid was inside. Sure, touching it would let him know 100% what it actually was. But at _what cost_ would the knowledge bring with it? "Maybe we can find them," Sora went on, completely unaware of his partner's lack of attention.

Axel roused just enough to blink and glance quickly over at him. "Well, sure," he mused, turning back to the stone fixture. "I figured that would be the next step you would take." It wasn't like Sora to just drop something. And after that swell of Heartless, and the fact that there would probably be more coming still, he would be even more stubborn in terms of their goal. Even if they weren't even really sure what that specific goal was. Right now, they were just going on the smallest of threads in terms of objectives. It wasn't really the best line to walk.

Sora glanced over his shoulder, seeing that Axel was sidetracked at the moment, and just staring blandly in front of him. A frown flickered over his face, and uncertainty began to wriggle into him, as if he was beginning to think along the same lines as the other. But he tried to shake it off and steel himself regardless. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he had to keep going, so it was what he was about to do. He turned back front and locked his shoulders, his blue eyes scraping over the area one last time. Keeping a wary hold on his keyblade, he started forward again, one step in front of another.

However, he didn't get to go very far at all. He took no more than three or four steps before he stopped short suddenly, his eyes going a little wide. "Axel," he rasped, his voice stiff. Axel perked immediately, though he seemed a little hesitant to drag his eyes away from the thing he was examining. His eyebrows rose questioningly, and he seemed to shake off his curiosity over the fountain water easily at the worry in Sora's posture. He was still looking directly in front of him, and his did not break his stare. But he spoke back to Axel all the same. "Something's different," he murmured.

"It's empty, if that's what you mean," Axel replied. "But I'm sure that people will turn up. Maybe we can go and try to—"

"No, it's not just that," Sora interrupted. Axel didn't say anything, but he watched Sora closely, trying to figure out what he was trying to mean. The younger of the two started forward again, his steps noticeably a little bit quicker. "It feels weird," he tried to articulate. Though he knew, dimly, that he probably wasn't making as much sense as he wanted to. "It feels like…it feels like it…like it _used_ to, and that…that _can't_ be right…because—"

Sora didn't get the chance to finish. His words ended in a sharp gasp of shock, which was enough to draw Axel's attention back immediately. The redhead stiffened and whirled around just in time to see Sora collapse on the ground with a hefty slam. Initially, Axel felt an overwhelming wave of fear and shock, and the first thing that ran through his head was that somehow whatever Panacea had done had worn off, or it hadn't worked at all. This is what he had _said_! He had _said_ that they needed to be careful and wary about this— not to take it for granted like Sora seemed to want to do! And now, seeing him fall, Axel was starting to dread going along with this whole thing in the first place.

But Sora let out a sharp exclaim, and Axel jerked backwards as it dawned on him that the boy's voice was filled with more anger than pain. It was irritation that made him scream, not agony. And as he jerked over to lay down on his back, Axel could see the source of the surprise and befuddlement. Wrapped tightly around his ankles and his wrists, binding them together, were old, grimy-looking cloth. He could see that Sora was trying to tug out against it, but they didn't seem to let up.

"Sora!?" Axel yelled, rushing away from the fountain and over to where he was now laying. Already, he was debating drawing his weapons forward, though he had never encountered a Heartless that had a power like this before. And ever since this whole situation had started, he had come into contact with quite a few of the enemies. He skidded to a stop and looked down at his friend, stricken as he tried to take stock of the situation. With the way that Sora was moving, it was clear that he was trying to get up, but somehow he couldn't. The cloth that was binding his wrists and his ankles seemed to be stretching— it was pulling out and wrapping tighter around him, like a boa constrictor would. "What's happening!?"

Panic was growing and spreading like fire in Sora's gaze. He didn't reply to Axel's question; in fact, he was looking down at himself with such terror, that he was quick to wonder whether or not he had even heard him in the first place. He was thrashing out, trying to get himself free against the thick fabric that was crawling over him. His breathing was going haywire, and Axel recognized the faraway kind of look that always came over his features. It was the same look he wore when he thought nobody was looking, or when someone rounded a corner too fast without warning, or when Riku raised his voice without thinking.

It was that look of haunted fright that had stayed with him ever since he had first been taken by the Organization.

The familiar expression caused Axel to snap into motion. He leaned down and reached over, trying to claw at the threads and tear it apart. However, despite his efforts, his fingers scraped uselessly against the ties. He couldn't manage to tear it at all, even though whatever it was just looked like any old cloth. He growled, his jaw locking backwards in anger as his eyes narrowed. "C'mon," he growled under his breath, glancing over at Sora and quickening a little bit as he realized his friend was just getting more and more worked up.

"Get it off me!" Sora yelped, struggling and pulling as hard as he could. "Get it off, get it off! Let me go!" he demanded, each word harsh and biting. He growled, stiffening as the cloth started to grip around his midsection. "Axel!" he screeched, growling and gnashing his teeth together to try and keep himself rooted down as best he could. But it was clear that he wasn't going to be able to keep himself controlled for much longer. "Axel, get it off me!" he snapped. "Help!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Axel replied, just as short and snappy. "It's not coming off! It's— it's _sticking_ or something! I don't know what this is!" He didn't have to ask Sora whether or not he had ever encountered anything like this; it was already made pretty clear. If he didn't hurry up, Sora would fall into a pit of panic that he wouldn't be able to crawl out of soon enough. He locked his jaw backwards in determination, and he kept struggling to rip apart the seams. And with every failed attempt, his arms only going quicker, and his expression more frustrated.

"Here, hang on!" Axel snapped, turning and abandoning all reluctance. He drew forward one of his Chakrams, hunching forward and beginning to line up one of the spikes with the dirty fabric. Sora watched tensely, one eye closed tightly as he winced backwards. However, before Axel could put any pressure down and slice through the bindings, there was a loud shout. It was echoing and obnoxious enough to wrench Axel's focus over to the side. That, and the fact that Sora completely froze as soon as the voice clashed against his ears. It was like he was made out of ice— even the startled expression that was on his face fell limp and slack. He just looked numb.

"Well, well, well!" the voice thundered, booming across the square to run into the two of them. And seeing Sora's acute reaction, Axel shot up to his feet and spun around, his other weapon flashing into his hand that had been free before. He immediately scowled at the person that stood across from him. Or…person could be an understatement, he supposed. Really, it looked like a sack. A sack with legs, and a face, apparently. "What have we _here_!?" they chortled, their hands going up on their hips as they surveyed the pair.

Axel looked over the other and fought the urge to groan aloud.

This place was going to be the death of him.

Looking at the other, it took little to no time for Axel to come to terms with the fact that its skin – the sack-like fabric – was the same fabric that was currently tying Sora down. And as soon as those dots connected, it didn't take long for absolute rage to crowd over his face. "Who are you?" he growled, nearly spitting out each word. The thing started to take a step forward, but Axel was quick to move, his voice turning into a sharp snap as he threw his arms out in front of Sora. "Don't take another step!" he warned. "Or you'll be nothing but a pile of ashes before you know what hit you!"

The sack-like creature let out a roar of laughter, throwing his head back in the process. Axel scowled, noticing in the back of his mind that Sora still wasn't moving, despite the fact that his ties were getting further along on his body. Tense, Axel agonized inwardly, unsure as to what he should do. Should he turn back and help Sora, and risk turning his back on this…on this _thing_ that was in front of him? Going by Sora's reaction, this guy wasn't anyone to take lightly, and he would know far more than Axel did when it came to things like this.

Before he could narrow down whatever choice he was going to make, the other took another step forward and snapped him back to the present. It was enough to bring that deep scowl back over Axel's face, but it didn't seem to sidetrack the newfound enemy at all. In fact, it just seized him into another fit of deep laughter. Holding his stomach and leaning over with the hilarity of it all, it was a few moments before he could speak. When he did, his voice was just as booming and obnoxious as it was before. "Oh, you've got me _shakin'_ in my skin!" he howled.

Axel tore it then and there. He whirled around and crouched to Sora's level. He leaned over and started to hack and tear at the fabric that was currently crushing him, feeling a stroke of relief as it started to unravel under his spike. Sora started to calm down significantly once the tightness around him started to slacken, and Axel tried to take comfort in that fact. Behind them, the newcomer was still laughing— his laughter seemed to echo and bounce off of the stone around them, and it was setting Axel's teeth on edge. So he tried to ignore it, finding that he wasn't causing trouble yet. So he needed to keep his focus where it was needed the most.

He sliced apart the fabric as best he could before he could just lean over and rip it away completely. Sora broke out in a rush, still clinging to a little bit of shock and fear as he turned to scoot backwards from the wraps. He was gasping sharply in and out, the crushing weight finally being lifted off of his lungs. Axel watched in frank disbelief for only a short moment before he resolved himself. He turned back front, reaching out a little bit with his arm towards Sora, who was still reeling.

The thing standing a few feet away from them was still cackling. Apparently, it found nearly everything funny. But now Axel could make sure that he was standing up against it, and he drew his free arm up to aim threateningly over in its direction. Was this some kind of deformed Heartless? Or was it something much more dangerous? He turned over just slightly, so that it was clear that he was addressing Sora. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if Sora was listening anymore. The brunet was still staring blankly at the person across from them, as if he was a deer caught in headlights. "Who's this guy?" he asked in nothing but a small mutter.

Sora looked winded— like he couldn't breathe. He shook his head in small, almost nonexistent motions. His mouth was open for a few moments, but he was completely silent. Eventually, he did manage to get out a small stutter, but it was very hard to hear as it was. "I-I-It's…" His forehead creased, and it looked like he couldn't find an answer. He blinked a few more times, and spat out an answer. One that didn't really make any sense to Axel, but seemed to make far too much of it to Sora. "Oogie Boogie."

This roused another round of laughter from Oogie, and Axel was starting to really get really tired of the sound. It made him want to gnash and grate his teeth together until they were completely worn down. After the ghoul recovered and righted himself, he put his hands on his hips, shaking his head briskly from side to side. "I wanted to try it out myself!" he chortled. Axel locked his jaw backwards, finding that his voice sounded more like nails against a chalkboard. "I heard that he was easy to scare! I didn't think it would be _that_ easy, though!"

Axel immediately sharpened with rage. His hands curled into fists, his fingers digging down into his palms as he took a stride forward. Sora was still rigid, though his eyes were slowly beginning to narrow as he came to put two and two together. His face was falling— not only at the realization of the situation, but at the fact that Oogie's goal had been reached. In the shock over the feeling of bindings tightening over him, he _had_ immediately resorted down to panic. And it had been a fit that he hadn't been able to get out of— if Axel hadn't been there, he was certain that he would have simply given up on trying to stay calm and rational. He wouldn't have even been able to get out of that trap himself.

Sora's eyebrows knitted together. His shoulders drooped, and for a heartbeat, it completely slipped his mind that this was _Oogie Boogie_ standing in front of him— an enemy that he had killed twice now, and was suddenly back, as if nothing at all had happened. All he could think about and dwell on, was the fact that, for that moment, he had failed. Just like he had failed to fight those Heartless back with Mulan. Should he be starting a list by this point? The thought was like a slap in the face, and he just stared emptily at the ground.

Axel was not one to mistake this change in attitude from Sora's end. He glanced over at his friend briefly, a sense of desperation flashing through his eyes briefly as he recognized the wilt. Quickly, he steeled himself and whirled around, going back to feeding on that anger, once he looked back to the enemy. "You're disgusting," he spat out thickly. One hand went up, and fire flared to life from the spikes of his weapon. It licked at the air with an undisguised threat, and with the rage that was evoked by the monster's taunt in Sora's direction, came the overwhelming need to light him on fire. And he would particularly enjoy watching him get reduced down to nothing but ash, too.

But surprisingly, before he could, he was stopped. And not by an attack, or even a shout. It was a small step forward. The stride was so small that if anyone else had taken it, it would have gone completely over his head— he wouldn't have even bothered to glance in its direction. But it was the fact that it was Sora, and he was advancing, that effectively wrenched Axel's stare back over to the side, and extinguished the flame kindling in his grip. Sora looked uncomfortably stiff, and his hands were balled into tight fists. He was clearly more on-edge than he had been before. Yet despite these facts, he still spoke up, trying not to let his voice quaver too much. "What are you doing here, Oogie?" he demanded, his voice as harsh as he could possibly push it to be. "Donald, Goofy, and I already made sure you were gone." In a small grumble, he added on: "Twice now."

Axel stopped short a little bit at this, sharpening with surprise and confusion.

Oogie just continued to laugh. He shook his head, in a way that gave off the: 'Look at these two idiots' vibe. The pair had gotten such a gesture countless times in their life, so it was immediately able to be picked up. All in all, it did nothing to help their case. "You fools!" he roared. "Ya can't get rid of Oogie Boogie _that_ easily!" He waved his arms theatrically, as if to accentuate his point. But really, it just ended up making him look like a fish out of water. "I'm back and better than ever!"

Sora took in a breath— standing so close to him, Axel was able to pick up on the harsh intake and all the nerves that it contained. So he was shocked and slightly impressed when Sora's voice came out strong and even flippant. He sounded like he did when he first tried to backtalk Xemnas at their castle. Standing there, Axel had to inwardly wonder whether or not he should be satisfied with his attempt, or just saddened. "You weren't all that much to begin with," Sora dismissed, jerking his chin up a little bit. "We're not really all that worried."

A ragged smile split Oogie's face. There was another chuckle, which sounded more like wind grating through the bare trees that they had left behind. "Look at him!" he chortled, not one to miss that Sora deflated just the tiniest bit. "They _told_ me it'd be funny! But I didn't think it would be _this_ hilarious!" He was stumbling backwards, with the hilarity of it all. Sora's face was falling quicker and quicker; his eyes were beginning to widen and round out as his shoulders drooped down. This only cracked him up more. "Look who's all _washed up_ now!"

Axel growled and made a move as if to rush forward, fire flaring to life once again. Fire was always a tough element to handle— he had expressed that before. However, its difficulty soared leaps and bounds whenever he was agitated. And _boy_ , was this making him absolutely _pissed_. He was so angry, he could practically taste the fire that was bubbling up inside of him, basically begging to be released _straight_ at this guy. He was nearly two seconds away from blasting this guy so hard he flew back fifteen feet.

But Sora's arm flew out to the side, barring Axel from doing just that. The movement was quick, and Axel had to jump backwards to make sure that he didn't burn Sora accidentally. He looked over at his friend with wide, skeptical eyes. Sora's back was to him— his attention was solely on the monster a few yards away. He was still rigid, and Axel could read the way he was struggling to hold himself together. Still— he was stubborn. His voice was hard and biting when he spoke to the other. "What do you mean 'they?'" he asked in a snap. "You're working for someone?"

Axel's eyes flickered back over to Oogie, slowly realizing, however begrudgingly, that Sora was probably being wiser in this situation. Axel wanted nothing more than to burn this guy alive for what he was saying at Sora's expense. And Sora, on the other hand, was trying to fit pieces of this puzzle together, in disregard for himself. He offered Oogie a small, almost lofty, smirk. "I thought you were supposed to be the big and tough one," he said. "And you're working for someone else? _Again_?" He shook his head. "No wonder I was able to get rid of you twice now."

This, surprisingly, did not cause Oogie to laugh. He soured at once, his smile turning down immediately into a scowl. He leaned a little bit closer to the pair, and Axel was still realizing why he resided in a place like this. With the scraggly fabric, and the looming figure, this guy would send any kid screaming to their mom. "Oogie Boogie don't work for _nobody_!" he howled, Sora taking a small step backwards at the sudden volume, out of sheer habit. "I'm here to take back what's _mine_! _You_ wouldn't know anything about that, you _mouse_!" Sora jerked backwards at the title. "He told me all about how the _famous_ keyblade kid is out of commission!" He was slowly being seized by laughter all over again now, and Axel looked worriedly over to Sora. "You were scared out of your skin, and I didn't even do _much_!" He broke off into cackle. "They told me you're _nothin'_ like you used to be! You're all _washed up_!"

Sora was gritting his teeth together, trying to bite down so hard that he had nothing else to focus on. But it wasn't working all that much, so he tried to focus instead on making sure that his hands weren't shaking. Or his voice, for that matter. "'They?'" he repeated hollowly. "Who's 'they?' Who's 'he?'" The pronouns were slicing through the air like knives, but they were completely lost on the both of them. He didn't want to think of what they could belong to himself, for fear of conjuring up something so awful, he would not be able to drag his mind back to himself.

Oogie laughed again. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he scoffed. Axel once again threw a concerned look at his friend, edging over a little bit so that he could be closer to him. Sora just bit down on the inside of his cheek in the attempt to keep himself rooted. Though it was becoming significantly harder. Oogie paused for a long moment, staring at the two with almost a blank stare. Almost like he got sidetracked on the way to whatever goal he had tried to set out for earlier. Like always, though, he snapped back into himself, recovering officially once the grin swept back over his face.

"Oh, yeah!" he thundered. Hunching forward, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them quickly. "You ain't goin' nowhere!" He aimed this over to Sora, which was indicated by a harsh jab in his direction. It caused him to jerk back a little bit, and Axel to flare immediately. Oogie's attention was zeroed in on Sora only, though, and he went into hysterics with his reaction. "You've been in a pain in my side for far too long, and I'm puttin' a stop to you right now!" He gave a haughty sniff.

Sora shook his head quickly. "You won't be able to go two feet," he managed.

He doubled over, howling. Sora's eyebrows drew together a little uncertainly, though anger was slowly clouding over his face. Axel, on the other hand, was completely livid. Sora could hear him breathing heavily from where he stood. "They told me _all_ about you!" Oogie snickered. "And you couldn't even get yourself out of that little trap! You might have been all high and mighty before, but you're _nothin'_ now! You'll just be a little fly to squash!"

Sora stiffened like a board. And Axel drew the line right there. "You're dead!" he all but screeched, Sora immediately cringing away from the shriek. Fire flared off from his weapons, and this time, Sora was too bewildered to try and stop him. His friend rushed forward, expertly shooting fire towards Oogie in rapid fire. It was a blur of red and oranges, and a wave of heat that bushed against Sora's cheeks. He watched with a numbed expression as Axel rushed for Oogie, who was more than prepared for his attack. He rushed to the side, managing the dodge the fireballs. And as soon as Axel was near enough, he flew forward to kick his legs out from underneath him.

Axel hit the ground, and once he made contact with the pavement, Oogie threw his hands forward. Just like it had happened to Sora, that same sack-like binding spread around Axel in a flash. A pit of dread opened up in Sora's stomach, and in the back of his mind, some part of him was screaming to act. He knew that he needed to snap out of whatever reverie he was stuck in, and move to help before anything could happen to his friend. But somehow, he was rooted in place, completely immobile. He just stared at the two, as Axel brought up a wave of fire to burn through the ties locking around him.

 _Washed up._

 _You're washed up._

 _You couldn't even get out of that trap._

 _You're nothing._

 _You're_ nothing.

What if…when if he w _as_ nothing?

Axel flipped back up to his feet, his eyes blazing as he launched another strike at Oogie Boogie. This time, it found home. The fire caught on his flammable fabric, and the other was quick to pat it out, yelping in the process. He growled and turned his angered stare over to Axel. "I ain't here to deal with you!" he roared. "I just came to snuff out whatever was left!" Sora gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, taking a small step forward. But Oogie was unbothered— he swept on, as if he hadn't even noticed the younger boy's effort to put himself forward. He just sniffed in disdain, looking at Axel the way someone would look at a pile of trash, or something equally as disgusting. "They _told_ me you might be _hangin' around_!" he snapped. "Said I would need to deal with you first!"

Again, Sora looked up, the pronoun clashing against his ears like a screech. 'They.' Who was _they_? Who was _he_? Axel seemed just as bothered by the vagueness— he glowered over at the enemy, his weapons having now caught fire completely. With an angered cry, he threw one forward as hard as he could, but Oogie leapt out of the way before it could slice him open. Recovering from the short stumble, Oogie turned towards Sora, his grin making a reappearance on his face. Sora snapped himself back into reality and scowled, willing his keyblade back into his hands with a flash before dropping down into a defensive crouch.

This only made Oogie Boogie laugh again. He snickered and raised one arm up into the air. "I've been lookin' forward to this ever since I got back!" he howled, staring to will forward another new attack that Sora hadn't seen before. He had no idea Oogie could do that last trick, and he certainly didn't know how he was back in the first place. What else did he not know? He wasn't sure. But he knew for certain that, without knowing what to expect next like he normally did with a villain as sloppy as Oogie, he was pretty much screwed.

Or was he just overthinking the whole thing, and just proving Oogie's teasing completely right?

But when Oogie reached out to point forward, it wasn't anything close to what Sora was expecting. He had been prepared for some sort of physical attack or blow. Something that was usually in the line of Oogie's fieldwork. But after a few moments passed, and Sora caught sight of twitching movements at the corner of his eyes, he saw that it was nothing of the sort. Because instead of some straightforward attack, Oogie's gesture had conjured something that was not only more troublesome, but also far, far more _confusing_.

Heartless started to leak forward, out of the shadows that were rampant around the town square. Shadows and Soldiers and many other types of the enemies started to crawl their way forward, jerking and twitching in grotesque ways as they made quickly for the trio in the center. Sora froze, reeling in shock and turning to look over desperately in Axel's direction. But Axel was no help— he was wearing an identical look of bemusement as he too took it all in.

Sora whirled around to Oogie, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. "You control the Heartless!?" he gasped, already taking a few steps backwards to try and keep his distance from the quickly-approaching enemies. His hands were back to shaking all over again, and despite the fact that he was trying to keep a tight grip on his keyblade, it didn't do much to steady him. Those beady yellow eyes were glaring over at him, slicing through the dark like knives and stabbing straight into him.

Oogie sniggered. "We _all_ do!" he snapped, his hands going back up on his hips.

Sora stilled, another gasp raking down his throat as he looked the enemy that was slowly growing more and more powerful by the second. "'All?'" he repeated harshly, his dread only multiplying and stacking on top of itself. "What do you mean?" he asked, quickly lashing out and slicing through a Heartless that got much too near to him. With a desolate look, he watched its heart rise up from the ground and towards the sky. He only looked back once the shining red thing had disappeared completely. "What do you mean 'all' of you?"

He threw his head back and laughed— a kind of bone-chilling laugh that rose up the hairs on the back of Sora's neck and made a shiver lance down his spine. Axel had doubled by back now to stand at Sora's side. His eyes were wild now and darting in every which direction. "We should run," he said, his voice completely tense by now. Sora jumped in surprise; he didn't expect such a quick leap towards fleeing from any one of his friends, especially Axel. He would sooner believe that Riku would do the same. And when they were twelve, Riku had spent three hours waiting outside Sora's house in the bushes so that he could jump out and spray him a water gun. "We're outnumbered and there are too many of them."

Sora's chest felt tight and constricted— he felt as if he could hardly breathe. However, some part of him realized that there was a reason someone as thick as Axel would decide to run. It was because he was nearly a hundred percent certain that they would not be able to get out of here alright. He was scared that they would get hurt, or Sora would get hurt. And Sora knew just as for certain that he was to blame for this uncertainty. That the only reason Axel was holding himself back was because he wasn't sure that he would have good enough backup.

Sora tried to draw himself up, and he took in a steadying breath. "We've got this," he said bracingly, trying to sound surer than he felt. He gripped his weapon tighter and his expression grew much more grim and determined. "It's nothing."

"Sora, I'm not sure about this," Axel muttered, turning and throwing a wave of fire over the nearest clump of Heartless. But just like before, the tide didn't seem to end. It was overwhelming. It was too much to handle. Too much for _them_ to handle, at least. "This isn't what we set out to do. Let's leave while we still can!"

"I'll handle the Heartless!" Sora snapped, completely ignoring the efforts that his friend was trying to put forth. "You go after Oogie! It'll be fine!" Axel looked at him a little bit longer, his expression almost pained. But Sora was through listening, and he was through being put down or watched extra closely. His hands were shaking, and it was hard to get a grip on his weapon, and his legs dragged backwards with fear as he tore himself away from Axel and started running for the Heartless. But he knew that he didn't have any choice— that he had fought to stay here, and now that the mystery was just getting more confusing, he had a duty to remain strong.

Thankfully, Axel tore for the other target of theirs. Probably just because he could see that Sora wasn't about to budge, and he knew that the faster they could finish this job, the sooner they would be safe again, and in the clear. Sora kept a tight grip on his blade and started to hack away at all the enemies that were steadfastly clambering for him. Each one was met with the blunt end of swing that shattered them into nothing but shadows that whisked away. Sora was dimly aware of the sound of Axel and Oogie fighting, but he tried to focus in on the disappearing enemies, and the comfort that it offered. However small.

It was better than nothing, at least.

Turning over to nervously eye a Soldier that was ambling towards him, Sora's attention slipped. Another Shadow dashed forward and ripped at his arm, leaving a harsh gash that elicited a sharp gasp of pain from him. He looked down at the blood, mentally cursing himself for leaving such an open area for an attack. Any other time, and he would have deftly blocked the attack, no problem at all. He had to pay _more attention._ Again, his mind flashed back to the two words that had been hovering over him for what seemed like forever now. It just took the audible jeer from Oogie Boogie just now to drag them to the forefront of his mind, rather than the back.

 _Washed up._

He thought back to the times when he would go down to the shore with Riku and Kairi and try to see if anything new was waiting for them after being swept in by the ocean. Back when they were little, they were always waiting for bottles with messages inside, or maybe an entire boat. Things that would lead them on some grand adventure that they would remember and treasure for years and years to come. But they always just found seaweed. Sometimes trash, that they would just skirt over with disappointed sighs. And that was what Sora was now, himself. He had come full circle, and now he was the thing that was earning those downcast looks and mumbled words of regret.

He was just something to let others down, now.

He had gotten through a sizeable chunk of the crowd, by now. His arms were burning from overexertion, and his breaths were thin and raspy against tired lungs. He truly was far out of practice when it came to stamina, by this point, and he was feeling it from his head to his feet as his whole body ached and stung. But he could feel the smallest bit of pride that he was still able to keep going, and fend off any of the ones that could possibly intervene in the fight between Axel and Oogie. The pride was small, and he was grasping at straws for it to begin with. But he stuffed down whatever else he might feel and held tight to it to keep himself going.

He glanced over to Axel, trying to see whether or not he was still okay. He felt a touch of relief though; his friend was holding himself up well, like he always did. Sora had firsthand experience in Axel's fighting skills after all— he knew that there was little to no chance that Oogie would come out of the fight on top. It was clear that the monster was thinking along the same idea, too. Now he looked frustrated and angry— he kept looking over at Sora and trying to maneuver over towards him before Axel could act out in response. Axel was having none of the efforts, though, and always skirted around to block him before he could rush for the keybearer. And whenever Oogie started to try and cast that same spell to send the bindings around Sora, Axel silenced him with a quick blow.

There was no telling how long the fight would last, but it couldn't be much longer now.

Sora shook his head to clear it and started to turn, so that he could get back to making sure the Heartless were all in check. However, once he started to turn his head, his eyes were caught on something at the far end of the square. It was back towards the way they had come— back to where the town ended and the forest began. What he saw immediately made Sora's blue eyes ignite with panic.

Through the throng of Heartless, which he could have sworn had all taken that split moment to freeze in place like Sora had, stood a cloaked figure. The cloaked figure that Sora had seen back when he had been with Mulan. Its hood was still up, and its face was still shrouded in shadow. But it was clear that it was staring directly at the boy, and it didn't move a single muscle. Sora stumbled backwards, shock slapping him clear across the face. Distinctly, he remembered back to what he had asked Axel not a short while ago, when they had first gotten here. Just for his own sanity's sake.

 _Are they all dead? Are you_ positive?

 _I…yes! Yes, Sora, they're all dead._

Then what was _this_?

"Axel!" he cried out, his voice nearly ten times higher than it usually was. The fright in his tone snapped Axel's head around before he was even finished calling his name. His arm shook as he reached out to point towards the figure, which still had not moved in any way at all. It was still staring over at Sora, waiting for… _something_. "Axel, look!" he screamed, tuning back to his friend in terror. Axel followed his gesture after shooting one more burst of fire over at Oogie, who had to stop and put out the flame before it could do anything more than singe him. "Look! Over there!"

His green eyes found home and locked there, and Sora had to restrain himself and make sure not to show his relief too much. Back with Mulan, as soon as he had tried to show her the figure, it had disappeared. Ever since then, he had thought that he was completely crazy. But here he was, and Axel was able to see it too. He was standing just a few yards away from him, and he was able to look at what had been eating away at Sora's mind ever since he had first glimpsed it.

He waited for recognition to flash over Axel's eyes. He waited for the confusion and the terror that Sora had felt himself. He waited for anything that would give him solace in the reaction that he had— in the hopes that Oogie wouldn't be proved even more right. And at first, it looked like Axel's response would be the same, which caused a small smile to lift over Sora's face. But then it dawned over the keybearer that though he _did_ looked confused and terrified, it was innately different. There was a large sense of emotion that was behind his gaze— so much emotion, that Sora found himself looking even more puzzled than his friend.

Axel looked like he was going to take a few steps forward towards the figure. But the effort was stopped as he was shot over to the side with a blow from Oogie. Having conjured one of his exploding presents, Axel wasn't paying attention at all before he was suddenly rocketed off of his feet. Sora went rigid, looking in between his friend and the figure, who was still standing completely immobile at the mouth of the forest. "Axel!" Sora called out, watching as his friend struggled to push himself back up and recover. "Axel, are you alright!?" Oogie started to advance, and Sora hesitated, agonizing over what he should do as he looked back and forth.

Axel got up to his feet and glowered, clearly angered. But he moved his stare away from Oogie to look back over at the woods immediately after. It was clear where most of his attention was, though he took a few wary steps backwards. He looked torn and confused, and Sora was stricken at the emotion that was still rampant across his face. Quickly, raising his weapons in defense against Oogie, he snapped: "Go after her!" Sora jerked backwards in bemusement— both at the intensity in his tone, and the _new_ pronoun that was chucked after him. "Go after her, Sora, please!" Axel yelled, lashing out at Oogie to keep him focused on him. "I'll handle things back here; just go help her!"

"'Her?'" Sora echoed in a yelp. "Do you— you know that person!?"

"Sora, _go! Hurry_!" The figure was leaving now— its back was to them and it headed back into the shadows. "I'll hold off everyone else! Just _help_ her!"

Sora wilted, his breathing picking up as he looked wildly from side to side. "I-I-" He broke off, shaking his head and taking in a quick breath. "Axel, can't you go with—"

" _Sora,_ go!" Axel screamed out harshly.

Sora flinched, cringing away from the violent screech. His eyes closed tightly for a brief period in time, and he held his keyblade a little closer to himself, out of routine. Axel wasn't even looking at him anymore— he had turned back to Oogie to try and deal with him and keep him in one place. "Okay," Sora rasped under his breath, more than certain his friend wouldn't even hear him. Which was probably a good thing, given that his voice was right back to shaking. Turning around and going after the cloaked figure rather than away from it was enough to stop his heart beating right then and there. A cold sense of fear was crawling up and down his skin.

But he didn't really have much of a choice, apparently. Not when Axel was so strung-out.

So he took in a breath, tried to ignore how much it shook against his windpipe, and spun around to race back towards the forest.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Kairi puffed, her knees giving out on her as she slouched down to the floor. She hit it with a dull thud, hanging her head down despite the fact that there were still Heartless rushing towards her. She had tried to stick it out as long as she possibly could, but her strength gave out too quickly. She was burning from head to toe, and whatever gasp she managed to take in was weak and shaky. Looking up to see a Shadow leaping towards her, she help up her keyblade weakly, in a lame attempt at self-defense.

There was a quick movement in front of her, and she let out a wheezy sigh of sheer relief as Riku planted himself in front of her before she could get hurt. He swiped away the Shadow with a decisive swing. It took _him_ little to no effort to do so, while she could hardly get back up. She watched with a dismal expression as her friend was forced to uptake the burden of moving through the last clump of enemies. There certainly weren't as many as there were when they started, but Kairi still felt a distinctive sting of regret at the fact he was still forced to take up her slack.

She ducked her head back down and simply waited, trying to regulate her breathing as best she could. Eventually, the chaotic noise died down, and Riku came to a stop, having cleared out the last of the lingering enemies. He sagged a little bit too— not nearly as much as Kairi was, but it was more than apparent that this whole thing was taking a lot out of the both of them. She reached up and brushed her hair out of her face, groaning as she tried to push herself up to her feet. Her legs felt like jelly, and she stumbled a little bit on her way up.

Riku turned and grabbed her hand, helping her to steady with a concerned look. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern pressed into every syllable that came out of his mouth. She didn't answer at first, too busy trying to get herself back under control. So his grip on her tightened a little out of worry, and he asked again. "Kairi, are you okay? Do you need a potion?"

She shook her head quickly. They didn't have nearly enough of those to spare. "No," she said quickly, offering him a smile. "No, I'm fine. It's just…a little hard. You and Sora always made it seem so easy," she giggled, feeling her face flush a little red. Hoping he wouldn't notice, she took her hands away, regaining her balance and turning instead to glance down at the floor. Riku didn't say anything; he was simply waiting for her to go on. She complied after a few moment of silence, though her words came out in nothing more than a shallow whisper. "You probably shouldn't have even given me this thing," she murmured, looking down at her keyblade with a heavy stare. "It's not like I'm good with it."

"You'll get better at it," he said bracingly, leaning over a little bit so that he could look at her squarely in the face. "It takes a while, Kairi. Don't get discouraged." She turned and look at him hollowly, having no other alternative. Riku was silent for a few moments, surveying her carefully. Then he reached over and put his hand gently on her shoulder. "You sure you're alright?" he asked her.

Kairi shook her head. "This isn't about me," she said, shrugging his hand off of her nearly as soon as it landed. Riku looked a little hurt at her rejection, but she wasn't about to stop and think about it. She turned to the side, ducking back to the floor. The two of them were alone, now that the last Heartless had been killed off. They had immediately tried to go after wherever Axel had gone, but they were coming up empty so far. Riku had said that Axel mentioned something about the Coliseum, so they had gone there as soon as they had dealt with things back with Mulan.

Their efforts were wasted so far.

Kairi shrugged listlessly. "This is about Sora," she finished lamely.

"We'll find him," Riku promised instantly, reverting to the reassurance he had said about fifteen times so far. "Axel is with him, I know he is. And Axel wouldn't let anything happen to him. You know how he is when it comes to Sora." He let out a slow sigh, and when he continued, there was a noticeable trace of anger in his grumble. "But that won't stop me from slapping him upside the head once we find them. He's in for a real surprise, if he thinks he's going to get away with this without a single repercussion."

"He was so injured, though," she whispered, her eyes round and crammed with anguish. "We've had so many close calls…why on earth would Axel try to push things even farther than they already have been?" She closed her eyes, more than tired by now. "What if something went wrong? What if he's— what if something went wrong, and Axel's just running away from us?" She turned and looked desperately up at her friend. "I want to be there!" Her voice was growing in volume now, and becoming angrier; Riku just watched her steadily, hardly even blinking. His expression was calm, in contrast to her clouding one. "I want to _be_ there for him! I want to be with him, and _I_ want to protect _him_ for once!

"That was all I was trying to do! I know the way it looked _now_ , but still!" She closed her eyes tight and let out a sharp huff of anger. "He's done so much for me— for both of us!" Riku continued to stare at her, waiting for her to be finished. Like he always did whenever she went off the rails. "If you think of how much he's done, and how much he's sacrificed…" She trailed off, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. Kairi let out a weary breath. "And now, he's _suffered_ so much. I just wanted to take care of _him_ for once. And I ended up driving him away…"

"I'm _sure_ that's not the whole story," Riku tried. "We'll find the two of them, and we'll get the whole thing sorted out. We'll find out what was in Sora's head, and we'll be sure to fix whatever the problem is. And then we'll be able to get to the bottom of this Heartless situation. Okay? We've got to keep our head above water, though. We can't let ourselves drown in everything that's going on— none of us can. Leon and Yuffie are just as concerned; they went out to search with Donald and Goofy, and Cid and Aerith doubled back to Merlin's house just in case they come back. So we're going to find him. With all of us spread out, there's no way we won't find the two of them."

Kairi reached up to rub at her eyes. She was silent for a long heartbeat. Then she offered a small: "You always act like everything will be okay." Riku blinked, surprised at the accusation. He opened his mouth to try and refute it, but she turned her blue gaze up over to him, and he found that he couldn't possibly. She reached over and took his hand gingerly in hers. "You don't have to be brave all the time, Riku," she pointed out. "I understand."

He was startled for a moment, unsure of what to say. But then he softened, and smiled. "Thanks, Kairi," he said. He turned to survey the now-empty area around them. It wasn't filled with Heartless anymore— just sand. Sand and those towering sculptures above them. They had to get going; Sora was nowhere around here. "I don't think he's here. He could be somewhere else, though." He glanced over at her. "Do you think you're okay to keep going?"

She nodded, though her arms still felt weighted down and heavy. She wasn't sure she would be able to fight very much anymore. Or if she did, she wouldn't be very much help at all. "Yeah. Yeah, we need to find him."

Riku started to turn, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Before she could stop herself, she quickly blurted out: "Did you ever apologize?"

He stopped short. He didn't turn around. Kairi instantly regretted speaking up at all, and she was about to take it back. She was surprised when he did speak, though. However quiet and reserved it came out to be. "No," he rasped. Kairi deflated, wilting down like a deflated balloon. "Not the way I wanted to. I never had the chance. He's so…he's so scared of me now." He twisted his head just a little bit back towards her. "The way I look, I mean," he fixed. "Whenever he sees me…something just…changes about him." He shrugged. "And I guess I can't blame him."

Kairi took a small step forward. "I didn't mean to say that you _had_ to apologize. Because you don't. I just…I wanted to apologize to him, too. For not being there with him through everything. For forgetting him, too. I…I never got the chance to tell him how much he means to me, and how much…" She trailed off, unable to finish. Her eyebrows pulled together in futility as her words died on her tongue. At her sides, her hands curled in and out a little bit.

And suddenly, she wasn't at some other world far away from her own. Suddenly she was just back on the beach of Destiny Islands, and she was with the one other person she would trust with absolutely anything and everything in the world. So the words automatically slipped out. "Riku, can I tell you something? I…I need help." She used to come to him for help all the time. If Sora was her goofy brother to sit and laugh with, Riku was the brother she went to for advice and assistance. Even now, she was almost unable to do anything but try and lean on him. "I'm confused about something."

He turned back to face her. "Pretty sure everyone is confused," he offered lightly.

The joke fell a little flat. She looked down at her hands, which were wringing together nervously. "I mean it's about something else," she said. "Not anything…related. At least, not… _exactly_."

He tilted his head a little bit. "What is it?"

Kairi didn't meet his gaze anymore. "I _need_ to fix things with Sora," she confessed. Riku just blinked and stared at her, waiting for her to continue. She reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, the gesture expressing layers of anxiety. It was hard to get it out, regardless of the fact that Riku had given her advice on what to do in tons of awkward situations.

She had once pulled him aside and asked him what she should wear for a dance at their school. He had helped her pick it out— even if he was sighing the entire time. Sora had gone alone too, she remembered. He had been cracking jokes the entire time, until she had come out in the fifth dress that day. A sparkling blue one that went down to her knees. She didn't think it was anything special, but Sora had immediately sat up in the chair he'd been sitting in, his eyes widening as he stopped goofing off. He'd gotten very quiet, and he'd smiled this tiniest smile that had made Kairi giggle.

Once she had turned to look at herself in the mirror a second time, she had fallen in love with the outfit.

That was the one she'd gotten.

The memory was years and years ago. But she remembered it like it was yesterday, because she would give anything in the world to have it have been just the day before. It was brought back to life in her mind, and as soon as she remembered the small little grin that Sora had given her, the words blurted out of her mouth. It probably wasn't the time, and it probably wasn't the place, but she had been holding it in for far too long. Every Heartless she had killed, every time she had gone out, every time she had come back to see Sora watching her despondently, and every time she had listened to Sora's weak and labored breathing while he was bleeding out beside her. She couldn't hold it back anymore.

And with everything rushing through her mind at once, her words came out in the smallest of whimpers. As if she was afraid to feel what the words would taste like on her tongue. "Because I love him."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Sora ran as fast as he could through the forest, dodging the trees and fallen limbs that were strewn everywhere by pure memory. He had gone through this path dozens of times, back and forth with Donald and Goofy. But never before now had he actually felt fear inspired from his surroundings. Chasing after this figure, he felt as if every branch was groping over at him, and every flickering shadow contained some kind of malicious enemy. Fear dragged his feet back just a little bit— he wasn't as fast as he normally was. Like always, he tried to stuff it down. But that was hard to do when he was directly going after that figure in the Organization cloak.

He wasn't sure where they had gotten off to, and so he was bracing himself to keep going for quite some time. Even farther than the door that led down to where Santa was, and he was sure that he would probably get lost from that point on. He hadn't really wandered back there; Donald stopped him when he volunteered to go down and explore. He was always too scared to stray off the beaten path when it came to this place.

But the desperation in Axel's voice kept him going; he knew that he couldn't stop, no matter how much he wanted to. He kept running, past the glowing tree and over the ridge to the rest of the woods. He ran while ignoring the pain in his chest and the way that his heart was hammering against his chest. He started to try and map out wherever he was going, to make sure that he wouldn't get lost. It was already bad enough he was going so far into the woods; if he was unable to get back to Axel, the situation would get even worse.

He ran ahead for a few more minutes, yelling out occasionally in case whoever it was could hear him and run his way. He had to trust Axel that whoever it was, 'she' was a friend of his. It wasn't anyone that was going to harm him, otherwise Axel wouldn't have sent him after her. After running for some time, though, he was beginning to wonder whether or not he was even going to find her. The woods were huge and dark. She could have easily have wandered away, somewhere Sora wouldn't be able to track.

Or at least that was what he thought before he reached the small clearing.

It was a small little opening in the middle of the dense forest. It was a small circle of open ground, unobstructed by trees. The only thing that was there, other than Sora, was the figure. Seeing that cloak, and the shrouded face, Sora felt the all-too-familiar crushing sense of fear and anxiety. He swallowed thickly, his forehead already creasing over with anxiety. _Don't worry. Axel wouldn't trick you. He wanted you to go after this person._ "H-Hey," he called out softly, the wind nearly covering him in terms of audibility.

The figure just stared at him. It didn't say anything at all.

It didn't really look like a girl…

"My name's Sora," he continued slowly. Still, nothing. He paused with a small frown, holding fast to his keyblade now. He tried to wrangle some security and safety off from it, but it wasn't all that easy. He willed for any kind of reaction or reply from the person, but there was none. He breathed in shakily and tried: "Do you know Axel? I'm— I'm his friend. He seemed a little worried about you. He asked me to come back to you."

Nothing.

She was really tall…

Sora tried to look softer. Maybe she was scared of him? He took a small step forward and reached out towards her invitingly. "Come back with me," he offered, trying not to notice that his own hand was shaking. "Don't be scared. Axel wanted me to help you." The figure started to bow their head low, reaching up for their hood. Sora took another small inch towards her. "Don't be scared," he repeated gently. "I'm…I'm scared too. But Axel can help you. _I'll_ try and help you. Let's just…let's just go back."

The figure grabbed hold of their hood and pulled it down, revealing their face. Once they could meet Sora's stare with their own, Sora's face fell completely. His eyes widened once the person's face was revealed, and all of the color was immediately drained from his cheeks. His arm was frozen mid-reach for about five seconds before he quickly snatched it away. On the inside, he was screaming at himself to backtrack— no, to turn around and sprint back to Axel. But his feet were planted on the ground. They were glued in place. The only movement he could manage was to break out in severe tremors.

Xaldin smirked at the boy's obvious fear. It was the same smirk that Sora had been forced to look at with every stab that was centered down into his chest. Xaldin started to snicker, the laughter seeming to echo and bounce off of every tree that was around them. Sora's lips struggled to move and twitch into some kind of speech, but he couldn't form a sentence. Not even a word, really. "A-A-Ax-" His eyes started to sting, and his keyblade was shaking back and forth as he started to raise it up.

Xaldin reached out as well, a lance snapping into his hand on command. Sora's stomach fell out from under him as he saw the weapon. It was completely bloody, from its sharpened tip, to its very end. It was his blood. From that night in the rain. Sora's lips trembled, and he struggled to craft actual speech. "S-Stay away," he bit out. He could hear how pathetic his voice sounded. "Stay away from me. You're dead. You're dead— he told me you were dead." His voice got higher and tinnier the more he spoke.

Xadin's smile only grew. Twirling his bloodied spear slowly, he started to advance on Sora.

Sora started to step back so quickly that he fell over and hit his back against the ground. Using both his hands and feet to try and propel himself backwards, he quickly broke out into hyperventilation and panic. He could feel himself shutting down and going numb, from how scared he was. "You're dead!" he screamed, his jaw locking back hard. "You're dead! You're dead! You can't be back!"

Xaldin lifted his arm, raising the spear and lining up his shot. Just like he had done to Sora before. Unable to look straight on, the teenager closed his eyes shut tightly, ducking his head down so that his chin was flush to his chest. He let out a horrified scream as he threw his keyblade in front of him for some kind of defense. And, trying to stay out of the pit of the terror that was currently choking him and making it hard to breathe, he let out a scream for the only thing he thought possibly help him. " _Axel_!" he screeched.

He waited for that familiar, agonizing pain. The repetitive blows in and out of his chest that caused him a world of pain he had never even dreamed of experiencing. He prepared himself for the anguish that would come, and the fact that he would never see his friends again. He would never be able to get strong again and redeem himself and everything that had happened to him. He waited for all of it, knowing all too well how much it would hurt and how much pain there would be on all sides.

But it didn't come.

Nothing did.

It must have been three lifetimes until he got enough courage to crack open one eye. And when he did, he instantly sat straighter, his face falling in an uncertain manner. There was nothing there. Nothing at all, just like before. The clearing was completely empty— the only thing around him was the occasional foliage and the ring of trees on the other side of the opening. There wasn't a figure, and there certainly wasn't Xaldin.

He was so shocked, he stayed sitting there for about five whole minutes, doing absolutely nothing. He hardly even blinked. He just stared blankly, his mind rushing this way and that in the vain attempt to try and somehow collect himself. But he couldn't. He didn't know where to begin. He just sat there in horror and uncertainty, remembering what Mulan had said to him before.

' _A person in a cloak? No…no, I didn't see anything like that, Sora.'_

Dumbly, he remembered the absolute emotion in Axel's voice as well, as he screamed over to him.

' _Go after her, Sora, please!'_

His hands were shaking harder than ever as he reached up slowly to hold either side of his head. Moving like molasses, Sora curled up close to himself, pressing his stomach as hard as he possibly could into his legs. His eyes were wide, and his pupils were completely blown out in fright. His breathing hadn't calmed down in the slightest; if anything, it had gotten quicker and more erratic.

What was _happening_!? What was _wrong_!?

Was he…was he going…was he going completely…?

He shut his eyes as tight as he possibly could. And, finding himself completely alone, everything got to be too much. He stayed in his tight positon; he didn't move a single twitch.

The only thing that he could do in that split moment, was open his mouth and let out all of his frustration, fear, and confusion in a single, earsplitting screech.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: I promise that I will turn around and set a little bit more of a focus on this story! Next chapter is when some of these questions will be answered, as I'm sure that a few of you have some of your own. I certainly have quite a lot in store planned for this story, so please don't think I'm blanking! I just started that poll to see the numbers just in case I wanted to delete one. And I must be honest, the idea is still tempting. But I will do my best to stave out against it. Again, I appreciate your patience. I made this extra long to make up for it!

Please tell me what you think! I'd love to hear from you guys! I'm getting back into that whole 'most reviews = updates' thing just to help me be a little bit more organized. So thank you— your reviews really help me out a lot! After all, the only reason I'm on here is because I would like to grow as a writer.

Any questions, concerns, or comments, I'd love to address them! Feel free to point them out! And sorry for any typos! As soon as I upload this, I'm going to start typing for another story while I'm off work tomorrow, so I've got a lot to do. Any glaring ones, if you'd like to point it out, I'd love to fix!

Thank you!

OH! And like I said, I am NOT reusing plot points! I tried to hint a bit at it, (and if anyone guesses right, I will be so amazingly impressed) but next chapter you'll be able to see it a little bit better. Trust me, I'm super excited for the reveal about what's going on, and all that will come after it.


	11. Chapter 11

He was sick and tired of…well, just of things in general. And it was understandable; it wasn't like such a mindset was uncalled for. And there wasn't really a better way to put it all, either. He was just tired of getting stuck in these ruts. He was tired of all the false hopes, and the fighting, and the never-ending sense of anxiety that seemed to weigh on his chest like bricks. He was tired of seeing everyone around him upset, and he was tired of the frustration that burned underneath his skin for every waking moment. He was tired of always _trying_ , and never being able to stop. He was tired of all the indecision, and second-guessing himself, and he was certainly tired of never being able to stop or rest.

All in all, Axel was getting tired of this situation, and all the confusion and other things that it brought with it. He was looking for an end to it. He guessed everyone was; or at least that was what everyone was attempting to do. He thought that once Sora had gotten healed, that would at least take away some of the pressure that had been on them for all this time. And yet here he was, separated from Sora now, and trying to take on a horde of Heartless as well as some huge enemy he had never seen prior to this very moment.

That wasn't taking into consideration the odd and alarming things that the monster had been saying before. Thinking back to it now, the irritation that stemmed from that idea was just fuel to make his arms move faster and with more strength behind their blows. He could hardly believe that, after all this time, he was still unable to decipher this stupid puzzle that was in front of him. ' _They_ told _me it would be funny_!' ' _They told me you were_ nothin' _like you used to be_!' It was like every time they thought they were starting to get a hold of things, someone came along and mixed up all the pieces of their puzzle, and added in about a thousand more pieces.

And he wasn't about to forget the most important aspect of the conversation.

' _You control the Heartless_?'

' _We_ all _do_!'

It was enough to make him groan aloud, and he probably would have turned to flop uselessly down on the ground, had it not been for the fact that his attention was once again wrenched straight forward. The Heartless were still everywhere around him. Right— he had to deal with this infestation, and then the source of it all afterwards. If somehow Oogie could control the Heartless, and if somehow there were _others_ like him out there, then maybe it would make sense that there were just _so many_ Heartless around nowadays. Or…at least, it would help to explain one aspect of the whole thing.

Currently, there were about fifty around him. Or, at least, that was the rough estimate he got just by surveying them all at once. It wasn't an exact number, but he had enough practice to put faith in the idea that it couldn't be too far off. He had no idea how much he had plowed through so far. His arms were certainly heavy enough to show the exertion needed for quite a few. But he didn't have the luxury of keeping his head up on his shoulders; he had to keep a wary eye out for Oogie at the same time he was facing off with the smaller enemies.

Axel swept one arm forward, watching with a cold stare as three more Heartless were incinerated by a wall of fire. He huffed out an exhale of air, whirling around to try and pinpoint that obnoxious sack. His eyes did find him quickly— if it wasn't for the darkness that seemed to hang permanently around this entire world, the feat would have been accomplished instantaneously. But when he did find his other target, he saw that Oogie was already facing him, and quickly rubbing his hands together.

"Have some of _this_!" the sack cried, throwing out his arms and conjuring brightly-glowing dice that immediately careened straight for Axel. He tensed and spat out a curse underneath his breath. He skittered backwards and nearly fell right on his back, but in doing so, he managed to barely dodge the things before they could smack into him. He felt a small sense of triumph in his quick thinking, and a smirk started to fold over his face. But he realized that Oogie was still laughing like a hyena, and, after looking in between him and the dice with a puzzled expression, Axel stiffened like a board.

From the holes in the dice, snake-like Heartless shot out into view, their eyes smoldering and bright as they lunged straight for the Nobody. Immediately at their hissing, Axel let out a screech of shock. One of the serpents sliced him in the arm, but he quickly managed to whirl around and slice it through with the point of his Chakram. He wasted no time before he did the same with all the others, watching with an expression of both relief and annoyance as they melted away into wisps of shadows.

There was a disgusted noise from Oogie, who was clearly more than disappointed at the fact that his attack had been beaten so easily. Axel was never one to care though, and suddenly, still standing in the middle of this throng of Heartless, Axel's nerves began to get to him. Sora had left ages ago, it felt like. Was it just because he didn't like to lose track of his friend, that it felt so long? Was it because fighting these enemies over and over just made the time seem to drag? Or had it really been a long time since he had seen Sora turn and sprint for the woods?

What had happened? Had Sora reached her? Was he talking to her? But…but why had she run away in the first place? And…and what had she even been doing here? The last time Axel had seen her, it was more than clear that he would never have been able to—

But it _was_ her. It _had_ been. He had seen her vividly from where he had stood. Sora had wrenched his attention back over his shoulder, and he had seen _her_. His friend, who he had gradually had to come to terms with the fact he would never see again what felt like lifetimes ago. She had been standing there, the hood of her cloak pulled down so that he could see her face. Her short black hair, and her bright blue eyes that were already soft with laughter and mischief, just like they had always gotten— especially when she had been with Roxas. She had been standing there as if she had her whole life; as if there was nothing wrong with such a thing. And as soon as Axel had turned his stare over to her, she had grinned toothily before turning and starting back into the woods.

He had screamed at Sora to go after her. In terms of stamina, Axel stood more of a chance against a fight of this caliber. But now, standing there dumbly, he wondered whether or not he had made such a good decision. Sora hadn't come back yet— not with her. He was out there, potentially with someone that Axel had missed dearly— someone that Axel had called a best friend, and someone that had meant as much to him as Roxas had. Someone that meant as much to him as Sora did now. The idea of not being able to see her when she was so close was enough to make his mouth run completely dry.

He was stuck here, when all he really wanted to do was turn around and run as fast as he could after the two of them.

So, looking around at the remaining crowd and finding that it was at least a kind of manageable number, Axel went completely still and took in slow breath. He closed his eyes and ducked his head down low to his chest, his arms flying out at his sides, and his Chakrams spinning out of his hands to suspend in the air around him. He growled low in the back of his throat and watched the Heartless around him through narrowed eyes, and past his weapons— both of which were beginning to spin and whirl around him. In the back of his mind, he was frantically making sure that he was keeping himself in check. That with this attack he wouldn't expend too much energy and get too depleted to carry on.

But at the same time, he was bent on making this the final blow needed.

He had to keep in mind what was really important. And that was Sora. And _her_.

So he let out a cry that ripped out from the very bottom of his lungs. And in doing so, and looking up, Axel poured forward as much fire and brimstone as he possibly could and pointed all of it instead at the enemies that were circling him. Sure enough, his vision went completely orange and white at the flames that surged ahead. He could feel his energy shoot out along with it, and he had to grit his teeth against the taxing sensation so that he could stay level-headed.

He watched the fire expel from his reservoir and pour over each and every Heartless that was around him. Beneath the wave of exhaustion that always come over him whenever he pushed things this much, he could feel a sharp sting to satisfaction as each and every being fizzled into nothing as soon as his spell touched them. He waited to make sure that the flames would do the bare minimum of the job that was required— he couldn't get depleted of all his total energy. It was risky enough to put himself forward to do this much. He had to control it...

He gritted his teeth, struggling to reel himself in and make the flames around him die down. He had to, before it got too far, and he couldn't stop it. Trying to yank his magic back before it was all used, a distressed groan wriggled its way out of his throat. It was like trying to plug up a million holes that were gushing out with water. Focus…he needed to focus. He's done it before. Always during last resorts, and it was never easier. He just needed to concentrate…

 _Fire is unexpected; it can be a raging thing of heat. And sometimes it can be just the opposite._

… _Why are you telling me this?_

Sora. He had to get to Sora— he had to make sure that he was alright. At the thought, Axel's eyes snapped open, and he forced down a sharp inhale. He forced the inferno to recoil and fold backwards, putting his mind over the stress and fatigue it caused, and gathering it all back from where it had come from. And when the feat was successfully accomplished, and when he sagged to the side and tried to catch himself, he was instantly met with a swarm of tiredness. All of his energy felt like it drained directly out of him, and he was almost too sapped to keep from capsizing.

Puffing for air, and feeling hollow as he did, Axel turned to look over the aftermath. The whole town was charred over and singed, it looked like. Even in the darkness of the night, he could tell that there was a new blackness that now marred the buildings and the pavement. He could have almost scrounged up a sense of guilt at the mess he had single-handedly created, if it wasn't for the fact that he still had an enemy to focus on. Though the clearing was now wiped completely of Heartless, which was something of a large relief, Oogie was still standing off to the side.

Somehow, the fat thing had managed to avoid the crux of his attack. The fact almost made him angry enough to have the strength to do it again. But he held himself back, watching instead as Oogie hopped around wildly, trying to bat away the flames that had managed to catch on to his sack. The threads that were holding him together had started to burn away, and Axel watched coldly as the monster struggled to pat away the smoldering before it could do any more damage. Still, it had caused a few holes to burn through his cloth, and they were quickly developing, unless he smacked them away.

Axel's nose wrinkled with distaste as he realized that worms and bugs of all kinds were leaking out of the holes bored there by the embers. Oogie was trying to plug the gaps up wildly, swinging back and forth with the effort. But he was clearly having a difficult time in doing so. Axel took the moment of panic to stop and catch his breath— recovering, while he had the open chance. Oogie Boogie was dancing and whirling around in the effort to stop himself up. It would almost be funny, if Axel wasn't so irritated. As it was, he just stared daggers his way, waiting for him to make some kind of move.

When he did manage to get most of himself held together, and when he shifted into a position that was least likely to cause major outflow, Oogie's head snapped back up towards Axel. A scowl was twisted over his face as he glowered over in his direction. It was clear that he was more than furious and set-aside. Axel was willing to give him that much. He didn't think _he'd_ like it very much if someone set _him_ on fire. And sure enough, when Oogie spoke, the tone of voice in each separate word was fit to kill. "You stupid sidekick!" he roared out furiously. "I wasn't even _aimin'_ for _you_!"

Axel's glare only sharpened with defensiveness. "If you want to hurt Sora, you've got to go through _me_ , go it memorized?" he snapped. But before Oogie even had the chance to reply, he went on gruffly. "Nobody is going to hurt a single hair on his head. Not _my_ friend."

Oogie let out a harsh scoff. "Don't think we don't _know_ it," he growled. "But I wouldn't go and think you're so high and mighty." He started to fall into that same cackling laughs— laughter that seemed to grow stronger with each passing, ominous word. "You're nothing but a thorn in our sides! We've got bigger and better things comin' strong! Things so big, that little welp with the Keyblade won't know what hit him upside the head!"

Axel immediately started to advance, gritting his teeth together tightly in anger. "Don't you _dare_ insult him!" he screamed, his voice immediately raising to be ear-splitting. "He's _ten million_ times the person you could _ever_ be!" The anger that stemmed out from this insult was enough to cram him with renewed energy, and he willed his Chakrams back into his hands, starting to make a move so that he could split open the stupid thing from top to bottom. But he was stopped dead in his tracks before he had the chance to do anything of the sort.

Oogie grinned. A wide, nasty grin that stretched from one side of his face to the other. He let out a laugh that seemed to echo and bounce off the stones of Halloween Town, and before Axel could get close enough to deal the final blow, he declared: " _You_ might think so!" After those four words, Axel was met with a hefty blow to the back of the head— one that sent him sprawling down to the ground with a grunt of agony. His head spun open impact, and he felt nausea immediately twist his stomach into a thick knot.

It took a moment for him to collect himself enough to spin around and look at who had hit him. And at the same time, plan out the correct way to properly take their head off. He was anticipating pretty much anything. Another monster, another huge Heartless, or even another swarm that he would be forced to take care of. He was prepared to spring forward and handle whatever would be behind him. But what he was not prepared for was for there to be…absolutely nothing.

All that was behind him was the now-charred area that he had first walked into with Sora was felt like a month ago, now. There was absolutely nothing behind him— nothing that could have caused him to pitch forward the way he had. Or nothing to serve as the source of the pain that was now throbbing directly behind his eyes. His fists curled down into the brick underneath him, which was still a little hot, and he turned quickly to look back at Oogie, a sharp demand already prepared at the tip of his tongue.

But there was nothing in _front_ of him, either. Axel stopped short, his eyes growing huge and round as his face fell. Where Oogie had been standing just a second ago, was now just thin air. A few bugs were still scattered around on the floor, but that was it. He cursed softly underneath his breath, his forehead creasing as he turned and looked all around him. To the left, to the right, and then back behind him all over again. There was absolutely nothing. Surely, taking someone like Oogie into account, even if he _tried_ to make a fast run away, it would probably take five minutes of floundering for him to get _two steps_ in one direction!

But he was gone. Just out of thin air. Exactly like whatever had struck Axel.

He sat there reeling for half a second, trying to wrap his mind around whatever was happening. He tried to decide whether or not he had technically won whatever had just transpired, and he tried to get his mind around every weird thing that Oogie Boogie had said. Hardly any of it made actual sense, really. It just made him even more befuddled as to what was actually going on. And where had he fled so quickly? Was it because he was wounded too much to continue fighting? Maybe if there was a trail of bugs, Axel could follow it and find him before he could get away. That way maybe Axel would be able to take care of a problem before it came out to be a _bigger_ issue.

There wasn't anything to follow though. He was gone.

 _Where_ had he gone? There was a real threat that had been right in _front_ of him! Where else could he have…?

Axel's stomach dropped out from underneath him. His eyes widened, and his face lost about ninety percent of its color. Sora. Sora— he went go and find Sora. That was who his real target was, right!? The instant that the thought crossed his mind, he was up on his feet. He turned on the beat and broke out into a sprint with little to no warning, not even thinking about the exhaustion that was still dragging at his limbs and making his body feel like one huge weight. He didn't have time to pause, or even hesitate. He had to find Sora, before something else did— before _someone_ else did. By this point, he had been gone for quite some time. What had kept him occupied?

He ran ahead, not held back by a single trace of the misgiving he had shown before in respect to the shaded woods. Now, he just weaved urgently through the headstones he passed, and the only sound of cracking twigs he was aware of was when his own feet snapped them in half. His fear and anxiousness only made him go quicker, and his eyes combed the area around him with a certain degree of desperation. Gasping in air between every hurried stride, he started to scream out at the top of his lungs. " _Sora!? Sora, where are you!? Sora!?_ "

He would wait for a reply. And he would never get one.

Only silence met his calls, and bit by slow bit, he could feel his nerves begin to fray and tear apart. _Where was he!?_ He ran all the way past the tree that had that weird door shaped like a Christmas tree. He passed other doors of that like nature— odd inscriptions he didn't really care all that much to wonder why they were there. He slowed just briefly, glancing around to all the other doors and stopping only to wonder whether or not it was possible that Sora had gone inside one of them. Maybe the chase had taken him into one of them? Maybe Axel was making a mistake in choosing to ignore them?

But he shook his head and pushed on. If he still could not find Sora after going through these entire woods, _then_ he would start going back to check whether or not his friend had gone through any of those things. Until then… " _Sora_!" he screeched, falling back into his sprint as he continued to tear through the woods. There seemed to be nothing but those same bare, crooked trees, and the same dry foliage around him. It stretched on for ages— he was starting to fear that he would get lost. " _Sora! Tell me where you are! Sora!?_ "

There was still nothing in reply, and he was starting to dread the worst. There was no doubt his voice carried far enough to be heard, right!? Why wasn't he _answering_!? Everything that Axel had tried to leave behind him in coming here was beginning to intrude on him all over again. The worries, and the fears and the horrible sensations that something truly had gone wrong. What if he found Sora, but Oogie had already gotten to him? What if the magic that had cured him had suddenly and inexplicably worn off while he had been running, and he was somewhere in these woods just bleeding out?

What was he going to tell Riku? How was he supposed to face Kairi, who he had just started to actually get along with, and admit to her that he was the reason this had happened? That he was the reason that Sora was gone, and that he had suffered and that now he was never going to be able to come back? How would he be able to face _anyone_? With each stacking question and worry, Axel's steps got faster, and his voice grew to be even more higher-pitched. " _Sora_!" By this point, his voice was beginning to bend and give out underneath the volume of his screams. " _Sora, tell me where you are_!"

Woods. There was nothing but woods. Nothing but woods, and branches, and gravestones, and in the back of his mind, Axel was already constructing the mental image of a brand new gravestone. One that would bore the name of someone who did not, and never will have, deserved what had happened to him, and what was _still_ continuing to happen. He thought of Kairi coming to visit the stupid headstone because that was all that was left. Because Axel was too incompetent to keep his friend safe. Because Axel was too rash to think about the person he owed so much to before he yelled at him to go after the person he had thought he had seen. Because—

Axel broke out of a line of forest, only to stumble into a new clearing. It wasn't very big— just a circle that was a few yards around from its center that was framed by these arching trunks. The middle was filled with mostly leaves, which must have fallen who-knows-when, considering there were no leaves whatsoever on any of these trees. But, half-running, half-falling into that clearing, Axel was knocked over the head all over again— but this time, he was knocked over the head with sheer relief. He was relieved, that he could hardly hold back a yell of delight at the simple sight of what was in front of him.

Sora. Sora was there. He was alone, and at Axel's shout of reprieve, he didn't rouse at all. Rather, he was completely motionless. But he was there, and for what Axel could see, he was completely unharmed. So a smile spread itself quickly over his face, and he rushed forward the last few steps it took to be able to reach him. Partly from exhaustion, partly because he just wanted to be on the other's level, the Nobody dropped down to be in front of Sora. His knees hit the ground with a dull thud, and he hunched over a little bit so that he could try and catch Sora's gaze.

"There you are!" he gasped, finding that air was a little hard to come by at this point. "I was calling for you everywhere!" Now that the relief and happiness had worn off, it was time for the irritation to rear its head. "What the heck were you thinking!?" He paused, puffing a little bit, as he waited for Sora to reply. He didn't. He was staring down at the ground with eyes bigger than the moon that was hanging up overhead. Axel's forehead creased, his eyebrows knitting together in puzzlement. Cautiously now, he leaned a little bit closer. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" he snapped. "What are you doing?"

Sora reached out slowly towards the leaves that were littering the ground below him. Axel did not fail to notice that both his hands were shaking. He started to mumble something underneath his breath. Unable to hear him, Axel was forced to bend forward and put his ear closer to his friend's mouth, which was hardly moving to begin with. "Don't you see it? It's here— it's here…it's right here, but I can't tell…"

"Sora!? What are you talking about!?" Axel demanded.

He looked terrified. "It's back but it's not it's not back I can't look at it but I can't stop I don't know what to do I don't know what to do…" Lightly, his arms were pushing forward so that his hands could run in through the leaves. He was carding through each individual one, clearing a space so that they could see the ground that was underneath. Just as softly, if not softer, he continued to ramble. "I don't know what to do I don't know where he went I need help it's back it's here and I can't do anything about it where's the door I can't get out there's no way out I'm stuck and I can't get out there are no windows and there are no doors I have to find a way out but there is no way out…"

"Sora!" Axel lashed out and grabbed onto his shoulders with a vice grip. Roughly, and not thinking twice about it, he started to shake Sora as hard as he possibly could. The other was like putty in his hands, jerking forward and then backwards, with his head still hanging down to watch the floor. His arms still moved robotically to shift aside the dead things below. He didn't even rouse really, at the jarring motions. It was like he wasn't even aware of them.

Axel growled under his breath and continued, raising his voice to be even louder. "Sora!" he snapped, grabbing his friend's chin and forcing him to look up and meet his gaze. He realized with a jolt of shock that Sora's eyes were glazed and shadowed over. And there was no spark of recognition there, even when Axel looked at him. He was still mumbling to himself, but Axel tried not to pay attention. "Sora! Where did she go!?" He spoke slowly, pausing just a little bit in between each word so that he could somehow let Sora understand him more clearly. "Where did Xion go!? You followed her, right!?"

Axel's grip on his chin faltered, and Sora's head immediately dropped so he could look back at the ground. His fuzzy eyes went every which way, and it was like he hadn't heard a single word that Axel had shouted. Starting to panic, Axel withdrew just enough to look all around him, his eyes combing the forest for any sign of his friend. Of that stare that reminded him so much of someone else's, and that smile that always made the day seem to go by a little easier back in the Organization. His friend, he was looking for someone he had once called his _best_ friend.

He had seen her, he was sure of it. He had sent Sora after her. He had watched her turn and leave.

So what had happened in the time that Sora had been gone!?

He turned back front, biting down hard on his lower lip as he waited just a little bit longer. But Sora's focus was still trained entirely on what was below them. He was still mumbling to himself, and he was still shaking. His eyes were still stretched wide with shock. He looked like he was watching someone die horribly in front of him, when all Axel saw was plain old forest floor. There was nothing special about it; there was nothing alarming there, or cautionary.

Oogie Boogie's words echoed in the back of his head.

 _Look who's all washed up now._

No. He refused to believe it. He refused to let it happen. Axel sucked in a harsh breath and let out his friend's name in a scream that was louder than all the rest combined. It shook the forest from its roots to its treetops, and all the while, he shook him again, this time more vigorous. " _Sora! Snap out of it_!" Drawing the line when he still only seemed to be aware of what was under the leaves, Axel grimaced quickly before grabbing hold of Sora's arm and drawing forward the smallest amount of magic he was willing to chance with him.

A spark of orange came through his palm, and he watched tensely for Sora's reaction, so that he would know the precise moment in which to stop. But even as he felt the fire spread out to wrap around his friend's skin, Sora was still oblivious. Axel's face creased over in pain as he kept the fire there and did not instantly wrench his hand backwards, like he would have wanted. The dull glow from his palm got bigger and brighter— slowly, because he was already kicking himself for the agony that he would inflict with the burn.

He was just beginning to think that maybe it was better for him to just revert to smacking Sora across the face, Axel stiffened with the realization that intelligence was gradually leaking back into his eyes. The dullness and the grogginess that had been clouding his vision was being blown clear, and after a few more seconds, Sora jerked upright, his head snapping up and his eyes blinking rapidly. Axel was already pulling away by the time Sora woke up enough to let out an earsplitting shriek of shock and pain.

At his scream, Axel immediately extinguished the fire in a snap, yanking his hands away from Sora just to be absolutely sure that he wouldn't harm him even more. Once the pain reached Sora, so did full-blown coherence. He gasped sharply, and the air scraped down his lungs in a way that made it sound more like a yelp of agony that anything else. His head whipped down quickly to look at his arm, which was already bright red and swelling up with harsh welts. As his friend gasped shallowly in and out, Axel reached back into his pockets, wondering whether or not they had a potion to spare for the burn.

But to his surprise, before he could try and find a remedy for the injury, it was already forgotten about. Sora went from looking down at himself in alarm, to whipping around to face Axel. He stiffened at the look that was on his face— every single feature was alight with fear and desperation. There wasn't even a trace of pain from what had just been inflicted on him; it was like it had just completely slipped his mind. As if it _wasn't_ some third degree burn that had been etched down into his skin.

" _Axel!_ " He flinched at the sheer volume that was hurled at his face. He opened his mouth to try and reply, but Sora wasn't in the mood for pausing, it seemed. He continued on in a rush, every single inch of his face currently crammed to the brim with horror. " _Axel, we've got to run! We have to get out of here! B-But I can't get out! Show me the way out! Get me out of here,_ please!" He was reaching out now. Axel was more concerned about the wound— as Sora was trying to grope forward and pull himself closer, he was just trying to somehow grab hold of his arm and make sure that he didn't make himself worse by flinging it against him. If it hurt now, Axel had no idea what it would feel like if Sora accidentally smacked his arm against his stomach.

"Sora, stop it," he growled, trying to keep his voice calm. But at the same time, he couldn't ignore his own nerves spiking in puzzlement, or worry. Sora was still half-crazed, it looked like. He was still fumbling around, trying to do who knows what. "Sora!" Trying to make sure that he didn't grab hold of his burn, Axel locked his hands around his wrists instead, forcing his arms to a standstill with a small tug. "Sora, look at me!" He was winded and scrambled, like he had just been spun around a million times and was told to take off running in one direction. Even when he looked up at Axel, it was clear that he was not paying attention to whatever he was saying.

Axel's eyes narrowed, and he shook Sora's wrists a bit, to demand his attention. "Listen to me, you've got to calm down! There's nowhere to get _out_ of! We're still at Halloween Town! What in the world is the _matter_ with you!? I was looking for you _everywhere_ , and I was calling for you! You completely ignored me! And now—" He broke off, realizing that Sora wasn't listening in the slightest. He leaned a little closer, trying to make sense of what the heck was going on. "Sora, you need to calm down! You're really starting to freak me—"

His head was whirling around now, from side to side. Axel waited for him to come back to himself. Surely once he saw the woods around him – the woods that they have been seeing for the past _couple hours_ now – he would realize that he was just _really_ confused? But when he looked at what was around him, he just got more panicked. "No, it was— it was right here! It was all back! I was back there! I was— I was terrified! I couldn't—" He turned and looked down at the ground. His eyes were wide, and he jerked his arms away from Axel, just so that he could go right on back to scrambling as fast as he could. His hands flew everywhere, throwing up the leaves that were still in front of them with wild urgency.

Axel simply watched, finding that it was easier. Or maybe that was just a better excuse instead of he was just way too floored to do anything. Sora, on the other hand, was doing nothing _but_ moving. He was shaking his head now, quickly as he tossed aside dead pile after dead pile. "It was right here! The— the floor!" he gasped. "When you moved the leaves, it was— it was right here! The floor of the castle, it was underneath the leaves! The more you moved aside— the more you moved aside, the more you could see it!"

Axel's expression slowly changed. From confusion and bemusement, to severe sorrow.

Sora saw this. He was not one to miss such a change in expression— not this specific change, which he had seen what felt like millions of times now. "No, no, you have to trust me!" Sora pleaded, his voice much higher-pitched now. He shifted over to grab at Axel again, getting more and more worked up now that he realized he was losing contact with the one person he could really trust. "Axel, you have to trust me! I was sitting here, and— and then I looked up, and I was— I was back inside the Organization's castle! I-I know that it sounds weird, but that's where I was! I-I couldn't get out! I tried calling for _you_ , but—"

Axel was already shaking his head. Sora trailed off, unable to finish it as his eyes rounded out dejectedly. "Sora, that's not right," he said. His voice was noticeable in how it had turned soft. It was almost gentle now, and the idea was enough to lance a cold sting of horror inside of Sora's heart. But he continued on, despite his friend's obvious distress. "I came over here, and you were staring off into space. You were pushing all the leaves aside, mumbling to yourself about how you couldn't get out." He reached over to put one hand down on his shoulder. Sora looked down at it as if it was some kind of leech. "But you were sitting _right here_. You didn't go anywhere. You weren't inside that place. You were just—"

" _No!_ " He was angry with this cry. Axel drew away, but he did so with a regretful sigh. A sigh that conveyed a sense of: 'What am I going to do with you?' And that didn't make Sora handle himself any better at all. "No, I was there! I was— I could see it! It was right in front of me— I was trapped! You have to believe me! I wasn't right here, I was— I was back there! I was back there, Axel! I was _back there_!" He fell silent for a second, breathing a little heavily as he waited for Axel to say something. It didn't come, and so he rushed on ahead. "You don't believe me…" This one was barely a murmur.

"Look." It was hardly a sigh. "Calm down. You're upset. And I get that, alright? You're…" He couldn't bring himself to finish. He closed his eyes for just a few moments, to try and gather himself. When he looked back over at Sora, he tried to put together one last attempt. "Look, what happened to Xion?" Sora's eyes flickered over with a little bit of anxiety at the question. He tilted his head to the side and pressed on. "The girl you chased from the square?" he prompted. "I told you to go after her— what happened? Where did she go?"

"'The girl?'" Sora echoed, the two words hollow enough to catch rain. His jaw hung slightly ajar, and Axel could see him struggling to form some kind of thought. Axel raised his eyebrows, simply waiting. There wasn't much else he could do, really. Was she somewhere over the rise? Had she fled off somewhere? Did he see where she'd gone— maybe he could find her! The thought was enough to set him on-edge, and he was almost fit to shake Sora all over again just so he would reply faster. When the reply did come, it was less than satisfactory, though. It was just a mumble; a skip in the record's track. "'The…the _girl?_ '"

"The girl! From the square!" Axel couldn't keep his voice from sharpening. He instantly regretted it with a small little wince, but he just swept along. "She had big blue eyes, and she had short black hair! She was standing there, and then she turned and ran off into the woods, and you were following her! You were right behind her, weren't you?" He turned and scanned the clearing one last time. In the back of his throat, he let out a frustrated growl. "Did you lose track of her? Is she— could you point me somewhere so that I could find her? I can leave and be right back before—"

"There wasn't a girl though."

Axel jerked a little bit. His forehead creased over. "What?" he asked. "What…what do you mean there wasn't a girl?"

Sora looked just as stricken, though. "There wasn't a girl. I chased someone in a cloak— a cloak like yours. Their— their hood was up, I couldn't see their face." Axel looked at him like he was speaking some foreign language. Something that went in one ear and completely out the other, just because it made no sense whatsoever. Because it didn't, really. He might as well have been. Sora wilted a little bit underneath the stare, but he struggled to make his point. "I chased after them the entire time. I never saw their face, and I never…I only got close enough to see them really, when they stopped here. And it wasn't a girl, Axel. It was…it was…"

Impatience made him short. Something he'd probably regret later. "Sora, what are you talking about? I clearly—"

"It was Xaldin."

He might as well have slapped him upside the face, really. He leaned backwards, increasing the distance between them. Sora went rigid at the movement, and instantly moved to try and fix himself. "I know that— but Axel, you've got to listen to me. You've got to _really_ listen to me! I was here, and I saw them, and they took down their hood, and it was _him_! And his lance was all…it was all _covered_ with blood, and he _ran_ at me, but when I looked again, he was gone, and that was when the leaves started to move and I could see the floor, and— and you don't believe me, but I'm trying my _best_ to _explain_ it! There wasn't a girl, and it wasn't…I don't know what else to say!" His last few words trailed off into something akin to a nervous laugh. Like he was trying to make light of a situation, when really, that was just making it worse. Somehow, he had a knack for that recently.

Axel was silent. He was silent for what felt like years, to both of them, as he just took to staring blankly at his friend. He didn't make a move to say anything; he just tried to digest what had been given to him. But eventually, he couldn't stomach it anymore. He sighed slowly through his nose, and hung his head down. A distressed noise rose up in the back of Sora's throat at the motion, and it seemed like he was about to rush on and try some other tactic of explanation.

He had to stop him before he could stumble on any longer than he already had.

"Sora…just stop. Okay? Stop for one second and please just take a breath." He was trying to soothe him. But it was clear that he was probably doing the exact opposite in the process. "You're upset. And you're scared, and…and I understand that, but…" He grimaced and barely held back a loud huff of frustration. Sora was watching him with the expression of a deer that was caught in some headlights, watching on-edge for what was going to come next.

What he got was less than satisfactory.

"We shouldn't have come."

Sora recoiled. His eyes widened, and his fingers dug down into the dirt in complete shock. "W-What?" he croaked. He tried to collect himself. He tried to hold himself together. _You're blowing this. You're ruining everything. This is your last chance, and it's going out the window._ "What do you mean? We have to— we have to find Merlin. You told me that we would do this." Axel was looking away now. He couldn't even meet Sora's gaze. So he was left to drag himself along. "What do you mean?" Nothing. Desperate, he repeated a little louder: "Axel, what do you _mean_?"

"Sora, we've got to go back." There wasn't apology to it. Or at least, Axel was trying not to let apology seep through his tone. He was trying to be firm, and he was trying to be final with it. Because it was clear now that this was a bad idea, and that Sora wasn't prepared for any of this. It wasn't all that surprising, either, if he stopped to think about it. Seeing an old villain, and hearing what he had to say about him that struck too close to home— that was too much for Sora. He was seeing things, and he was getting confused and panicked. He was still showing signs of trauma and stress. The things that Merlin had started out this recovery process warning against.

He'd thought that this would be the best thing to possibly happen to Sora. He thought that if Sora got out here, and if he felt the expansiveness of all the worlds, and if he could feel that sense of triumph earned from killing Heartless, then everything would be better. Maybe not at first, but it would get there. Yet here they were. Here Sora was, seeing things and mumbling incoherently under his breath. He didn't need to be out here; being out here was just dragging everything back up and forcing it underneath his nose. No— they needed to leave. They needed to leave, and they needed to do it now.

Sora was winded with the six words. It took away any breath or rationale he had, and he was left to just stare at Axel. Meeting the stare came out to be much more difficult than Axel had first anticipated, too. He had to force himself not to duck away from the look that was aimed in his direction. Because Sora looked completely double-crossed, like he had been betrayed. And it was a harder thing to stomach, with the understanding that that was exactly what had happened here.

"You…" Sora blanched, trying to piece it all together. Going by the way he was wilting ever so slowly, it was clear that he was making the right sort of progress. "You told me that…you— you said that—"

"I _know_ what I said," Axel interrupted, looking down at the ground now. "But you're just…it's too much for you. And some part of me knew that going in, but mostly I just thought it would be okay. But I think we _really_ just need to go back and find your friends again. They can help you." Sora closed his mouth slowly. He didn't say anything. He just stared at Axel with an expression impossible to read. Regretfully, he stood up, reaching down and offering his friend a hand, should he choose to accept it. "Come on. We'll just go back. We can't stay out here; not like this."

Sora was still silent. Eventually, his hands shifted to curl down hard on his knees. His jaw locked backwards, and there was a sense of finality that rested down behind his stare. Like the last pin dropping to where it needed to go. Axel grimaced a little bit and tried to say something that could possibly make it better. That exact 'something' wasn't really on the tip of his tongue as it was though, so Sora beat him to the punch. "Fine." It was choked, and it was small. It gave off a kind of anger. Or maybe the better word was resignation. He turned away from his friend, who he had trusted to stick with him, and just repeated himself. "Fine."

Axel made one last attempt. "It's for the best, Sora." He lowered his voice for his next words, even though there wasn't much point to it. They were the only ones in the clearing, and with that last attack, Axel was sure that they had just a little bit more time before more Heartless came around. "There was no floor. You were right here this entire time." Sora was still refusing to turn his head. "And Sora…I _killed_ Xaldin. I made _sure_ of it." A long pause. Then: "Alright? Sora, he's gone. He won't—"

Sora pushed himself up to his feet without a single hesitation. Axel grimaced and ducked a bit, merely watching as his friend started in the direction that they had come. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. I don't need to be treated like a kid. I know. I know that happened. I got it."

Axel followed suit and stood. He sounded strained with his small: "Sora…"

He whirled around quickly. His blue eyes were like chips of ice now, and Axel stilled underneath their stare. He tried to stop himself before the comparison could be made, but seeing that heated, angry stare was always enough to send his mind back into a tailspin. Where he could see that same exact look, but directed from someone else entirely. Someone who, especially by the end, was always shooting him those daggers. The look that definitely seemed to hurt worse than any kind of attack could.

"I trusted you."

He started out angry. Angry was always much easier— much more feasible. But it was never as easy to hang on to as it was to latch on. The front was quickly forced to crumble down and break. It cracked in long thin lines, and in between those cracks, that sorrow was allowed to seep through and show itself. Axel tried not to notice, and instead focus on reaching up and rubbing at his forehead. "I can't go back yet. I _can't_. I have…I have to do this first." When his friend didn't say anything, he just tried again. "I need to figure this out. I need to figure _everything_ out. I just…I can't go back yet. I thought you understood that."

It was all Axel could do to say rather shortly: "It's just _too much_ for you right now."

He drew back. He seemed offended. And Axel couldn't really blame him. "You left," he reminded him. Axel sighed and shook his head, but Sora didn't care. Not at the moment, anyway. "You left to figure things out, and I let you go. I didn't want you to, but I let you. Now you won't do the same for me? When I—?"

"It's _not_ up for discussion! Alright?" Axel finally exploded. "We're going back, and that's how it's got to be!" He regretted yelling almost as soon as he started. So when he went on, he made a genuine effort make sure that his voice was gentler. "We'll come back out later. Maybe when you…when you get your _head_ back on your shoulders, but I just can't be responsible for whatever—"

He couldn't get to the end of his sentence. Before he had the chance, there was a sudden scream. It was far away, but it was loud, and it caused both of their heads to whip around simultaneously. Axel looked more pained by the noise of distress, while Sora was instantly slapped upside the head with concern. After the scream, there was the sounds of more muffled yells. Signs of a fight somewhere beyond the trees that were around them. So Axel wasn't surprised when Sora immediately called his Keyblade forward and made a move to start running.

The Nobody held back a groan of frustration and rushed out to grab hold of Sora's shoulder. He wrenched him around, and met his stubborn look with his own short one. Struggling to drive his message through, he spoke his words very slowly. "Sora. Whatever is happening. I'm _sure_ it can be figured out without you." Sora's shoulders drooped down low. "You've tried. You've tried harder than _anyone_ else out here. But the worlds can find some way to go on without your help."

"That's just the _problem_ , though," Sora pressed weakly. "They shouldn't _have_ to."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He needed to start getting a dollar every time he caved.

It was a serious problem right now, and he was willing to go through an intervention.

They were both running as fast as they could. Looking over at Sora every so often, Axel could clearly see that he was still distracted, and that something was bothering him. But despite the look that was on his face, his steps were sure and swift— not hesitant at all. He kept up pace with Axel, which was impressive, given how little experience he had gotten in terms of stamina recently. His steps were unfaltering as they ran through the woods, dodging trees and skirting around every roadblock in their way. It was almost sad to note such a thing.

To know that he was still trying, _this_ hard.

They ran until the trees began to thin out, and the woods weren't nearly as deep. They ran until they could begin to see what was on the other side of the forest, where headstones stood looming like people, simply loitering because they didn't know what else to do. But as soon as the graveyard came into view, the two of them skidded to a stop. Surprise flared across both of their faces, at exactly the same time. The scream had been too far away to register clearly and associate a face along with it. But now both of them were a little stunned they had been _that_ deaf.

It was Yuffie. Yuffie and Leon. At the sight of them, Sora's harsh determination was just a little bit weakened. It was replaced instead with the sense of doubt he'd been trying to stifle this entire time. Neither he nor Axel made a move to get out of the cover of the trees— both for their own reasons, of course. But they watched intently. Yuffie and Leon were fighting off a clump of Heartless that was slowly building up on top of itself. Axel noticed the number with a sense of unease; it was almost as many as he had faced in his fight with Oogie Boogie. He could only wonder how long it would take them to notice that Sora was here. They _were_ drawn to the Keyblade after all. Yuffie and Leon were just in the way.

That was…if there was even a _pattern_ to the Heartless anymore.

He sobered a little bit with that thought.

Yuffie must have been the one to cry out. She looked more than frustrated as she hopped and flipped out of the way. Exertion and exhaustion was rampant in her features, and with every throw of her ninja stars. Leon was more than capable, with his huge sword. One swing, and he could comb aside whatever group of Heartless were in front of him. He was currently trying to help out Yuffie, shuffling to the side and trying to offer her some kind of relief. Stubborn as she was, Yuffie was trying her best to right the distance and hold her own. It wasn't clear how long they had been fighting, or if they have been fighting before this. But she wasn't nearly as good as she usually was. Her timing was off, as were her steps, and the ninja let out a harsh scream of irritation when a Soldier flashed by and left a gash down her arm.

Sora turned and looked over at Axel. "We have to help them."

Axel could have jumped for joy. Maybe if it happened like this, he wouldn't feel as guilty. They would see Sora, and they would see how he held himself— how bad he still was. Or if they didn't pick up on it, Axel could tell them. But whatever way it was divided up or split, there would be an endgame. And that endgame would be what was best for Sora. Sending him back to Merlin's. Somewhere he could sit and clear his head and maybe get better before it got any worse. "I agree," he replied. "We should—"

"We've got you!" Again, the pair were completely in sync when they turned and followed the noise with their heads. And again, they were both completely caught off-guard. From town, three figures were racing towards the two in trouble. Two of them, Axel could not mistake. The other…well, they were probably for Sora to recognize. The group was led initially by a skeleton that seemed to be about ten feet tall, and angry enough to take down an entire village of Heartless. Which, coincidentally, was near the number that was here.

Who made up the back was clearer to Axel. They weren't nearly as strange-looking. It was just a normal, slim red-headed girl. And she was accompanied by a much taller figure that towered over her, in comparison. Axel could tell by Sora's stiffen that he recognized them just as much as he did.

It was Riku and Kairi.

Kairi had been the one to yell. Her blue eyes were wide and frantic as she brought up the very rear of the party. By Axel's judgement, she looked ten times as exhausted as Yuffie was. Whenever he'd gone out with the whole group back at Hollow Bastian, her fighting skills were never anything all that spectacular. In fact, the longer they were forced to fight, the more he would glance over in her direction, just to make sure that she was okay. Now, it was clear that this whole ordeal was taking its toll on her. She could hardly keep up with Riku, who was just a few steps ahead of her. The way she was holding her weapon gave off the vibe that it was getting heavier and heavier in her hands.

At least there one thing was clear. Hard-headed stubbornness was just as prominent inside of her as it was inside of Sora.

Riku and the skeleton were the first to jump into the fray. Riku did pause long enough to throw back one more look at Kairi, but he couldn't hesitate for too much longer before he dashed to Yuffie's side. Leon was relieved for the help, and even more so when the skeleton launched a fireball attack towards where he was fighting, to take off some of his numbers. Kairi hung back for a little bit, hunching over and putting her hands down on her knees so that she could gasp in and out, trying to catch her breath.

Whether or not Sora was even aware of it, Axel saw that he took a small step forward.

With Riku adding some strength to their side – because he never seemed to run out of it in any way, shape, or form – the battle should be quickly won over. Much faster than Leon and Yuffie would have been able to accomplish on their own, at least. But Axel watched in complete silence, his eyes only narrowed as he tried to keep track of the numbers. Riku killed one, and then Yuffie sliced through hers. But then one snapped into appearance by Leon, and another sprang out of nowhere to launch at the skeleton. Leon killed that one, but Kairi yelped in surprise when another crawled out of the ground at her feet.

He kept track of each progress, and then each setback. And slowly, his expression grew angrier and angrier. It hadn't always been like this. Not for this amount of time. What had changed? It was the question that had cropped up to him every day since the ordeal came to be. But still, he couldn't track down an answer. He leaned over and was ready to hiss something into Sora's ear. To see whether or not he was realizing the correlation just as much as Axel was. But he wasn't even aware of him. He was looking instead straight over at Kairi. His eyes were wide and intense, and he watched as she hoisted her Keyblade up towards her oncoming attackers.

He mumbled something under his breath, which was barely understandable.

Axel leaned closer. "What?" he hissed.

He said it again, a little louder. But it was still lost on Axel.

" _What_?" he demanded.

Kairi swung her blade and caused a few to disappear. Her eyes lit up with accomplishment at the achievement, and her face broke out into a smile. She repeated the motion again and again, finding that this was where her success was most easily found. But Axel watched with a small frown as she stumbled, swinging too hard for one of her blows and nearly falling. She caught herself, only to find that her balance was thrown off and she just tipped over to her other side. The moment was small, and it was hardly noticeable. But in the heat of the battle, it was enough to earn her a slice on her hand, which was met with a high-pitched squeal of pain.

Sora repeated himself now, this time loud enough to be heard. "She hasn't gotten any training yet."

He looked in between the two now, his expression a little off-put. But he attempted to be bright when he replied. "Well…you never had any training, either."

Sora said nothing. He watched now, worry eating up all of his features as he watched Kairi fight. None of the others were paying any attention to her by now. They had caught onto the fact that for every one they did away with, another would pop up somewhere else. Leon and Riku were attempting to move even faster, while the skeleton was making his fire attacks more wide-spread. Yuffie was throwing three or four ninja stars at a time now— Axel couldn't stifle how impressed he was at the fact that she could throw and catch them all.

By this point, he was starting to regret expending nearly all of his energy with his last big magical attack. That, coupled with the fact that he had sprinted both to Sora and then all the way back with him, he was lucky he had the willpower to even keep standing. The only thing that he would be able to do if he burst out of there was throw his Chakrams, without the assistance of any flame. He wasn't sure how well Sora was holding up in terms of strength, either. He had been so malnourished, and he had just finished days of barely moving. Now it was suddenly up to him to try and keep up with everything that was happening. He had to be aching all over by now, and completely sapped of anything.

But at the same time, Axel knew that even if that was the case, Sora would never admit to it.

Sora took another step forward. It dragged against the soil, almost like he was scuffing the ground more than he was advancing. Kairi hopped backwards a few steps, her eyes huge as she narrowed avoided a rather deadly blow from a Mega-Shadow. It was clear by the look on her face that she hadn't met one before like this. There was alarm and fright in her expression, but she refused to call out for any sort of help. Instead, she just held tighter to her weapon and continued to dip and dive and duck. Sora's eyes flickered wildly in between Riku and Kairi. He was waiting for something. Even though Axel had a faint idea what it might be, he couldn't be sure.

Reluctantly, Sora got himself to step backwards. He turned and looked over at Axel, seeming urgent. His lips moved, but whatever words he might have gotten out were too quiet to be heard. Axel made a face and leaned forward a little bit, to try and make some sense of whatever he was trying to get across. But even when Sora raised his voice just slightly, it was still lost on him. He drew backwards and began to reply, when his gaze was sidetracked. When his eyes were dragged back over to the side, and a sense of dread began to flood into them.

Sora turned too with the change in expression. He froze over in fright as well.

Kairi was still handling the Heartless that were gravitating over to her, now. With her and Riku both having Keyblades, most of the attention was focused solely on them. She was doing a pretty good job with what she was dealt, too. Axel could almost be impressed, had it not been for the huge Large Body that was barreling straight for her. It was more like waddling, considering its gargantuan size, but it was fast nonetheless. Kairi jerked in shock at its appearance, and a look of complete confusion smacked itself across her face.

She lifted her Keyblade up and put forward a hefty swing— one that looked like it contained as much strength as she could possibly cram into a blow. But once the end of her blade hit the Heartless' stomach, it immediately just bounced off and caused her to keel backwards. She barely caught herself, though she did so with a frightened squeak. She bit down on her lower lip and tried again, scrapping together as much as she could with this swing. Again, she was left to stumble back. This time, the effort was so strong that she did trip and fall onto her back.

Axel's eyes widened. "She doesn't know to hit it in the back," he whispered, looking at her in alarm. Sora didn't reply. So he just went on. "She really hasn't had any training at all." Again, he was left to wonder whether or not he had any more strength to try and help. He didn't— his legs were trembling just from the task of holding himself up by this point. He was seriously debating sitting down just to offer himself some kind of break. His Chakrams— they wouldn't be able to spring to life with fire, but they would be better than nothing.

Kairi was winded for a second, her eyes wide as she tried to recollect herself. Seeing its chance, the Large Body started to rumble over, raising its arms towards the sky as it readied itself to bring them down smashing on her head. Around the scene of action, the other Heartless were twitching and writhing in excitement for what was to come.

That was where Axel drew the line. He resolved himself to bursting forward, and his hands clenched at his side to will them forward.

But that was when he glanced to the side, and realized that Sora wasn't there.

That he wasn't the only person that knew where to draw the line.

Sora burst out from the tree line, his Keyblade snapping into his hand as he held on tightly to it. Despite the weariness that had been dragging behind him up until this point, Sora ran so fast for Kairi that he was basically a blur. He skirted around most of the meaningless Heartless— the 'small fries' as Leon called them upon their first meeting. A few of them, he swiped through as he went by, but mostly he just focused on getting to Kairi. She was still winded, but had gathered herself enough by now. With a grimace of exhaustion, she was dragging her Keyblade up in the effort to guard herself from the incoming slam. Sora growled in the back of his throat as he realized that she was going much too slow. She wouldn't be able to be fast enough.

Someone might have screamed off to the side. Someone might have called his name in shock or disbelief, but it went right over Sora's head. He just focused on Kairi. Kairi— he had to reach her before it was too late. Before she got hit. Before she got hurt. She was going to get _hurt_. He had to reach her; he just _had_ to. So he pushed himself to run faster than he had ever run before, and to get there before that Heartless could move a single inch more.

Kairi had realized that she would not guard herself correctly. She had tuned and flinched hard, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself for whatever was about to ram right into her. They had potions— she knew that. The exact number was lost on her, but she could probably be spared one, right? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that this next thing was going to hurt and, and she would have to stomach it. Just like Riku and Sora could take a hit, she had to learn how to do the same.

But the blow didn't come. Kairi stiffened; her eyes snapped open and immediately filled with shock. Right before the Large Body could make its contact, Sora threw himself in between the two. His keyblade whipped up, and he deftly blocked the attack, leaving the Heartless to be the one stumbling backwards this time. Kairi stared at Sora with an open mouth; she was torn between being completely overjoyed, and being completely confused.

He purposefully did not turn and look at her. He just shifted his hold on his keyblade instead and dug his heels down into the ground. He had faced dozens of these before. They were much more formidable than any regular Shadow or Soldier, but they were still just annoying to deal with. Holding his keyblade in just the right angle, Sora swept quickly to the side, catching the Heartless on its side and pulling it along with him. This way, it was left to spin awkwardly, exposing its back, where its weak spot was.

Without wasting a second, Sora caught himself back into balance and sprung forward, his tired arms following pure muscle memory to rain down attacks on the Heartless. The anger he held for the thing in its attempt to harm Kairi was enough to banish some of his weariness, and give fuel to burn off from. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his jaw locked backwards as he parried and slashed. The Heartless buckled immediately underneath the strain, and it only encouraged Sora to keep going.

And he did, unfalteringly, until the Heartless dissolved entirely vanished on the spot. By now, Kairi had scrambled to her feet. Though she still looked completely floored, as soon as the Large Body disappeared, she reached over to try and grab Sora's shoulder. But before she could, another Heartless lashed out at her, and as it caught on her ankle, she was forced to whirl around before it could harm her any more. She took in a shivering breath, and she started to drag up her Keyblade, finding that her exhaustion was not so easily overcome.

Thankfully, there was a second surprising appearance to help her out. Axel had rushed out of their hiding place as well, hot on Sora's tail. He sprinted out and caught the Heartless before it could make another move, his Chakram doing well as a sharp end, if nothing else. He was used to it being a little bit more lethal, but he was willing to swallow this one for now.

Sora turned, realizing that Axel had given himself up as well. Maybe it wasn't the right word. But now it was certain that there was no going back. That things were permanent now, and everyone was aware that they had found them. Sora could feel his plan to separate himself from his friends until he was ready already dissolving, just like the Large Body had. Kairi started to whirl back around to look at him, and so he quickly turned away to assess everything that was around them.

It looked like there were even more Heartless than when they first started. He closed his eyes tightly and felt a wave of frustration and severe anger flood through him. It was just _impossible._ All of this was impossible, and he was right in the middle of it. He had finally gotten out, and he had finally gotten better, and he was going to be forced to go back to Merlin's house once Axel told them what had happened. And that was just the point. Sora had no idea _what_ had happened. Axel didn't either, he just opted to think the worst about it all.

It wasn't something wrong with him. Right?

It had all actually been there. Right?

 _Right_?

Everyone had a breaking point, and this one was his. He felt a wave of anger swell inside of his chest, and the grip on his Keyblade tightened even more. He glanced over to see that the small spurt of motivation that Axel had managed to drag up to himself was slowly running out. When he swung his arms out to try and catch fleeing enemies, they lacked any real strength or backbone. It was more like his arms were made out of rubber, and could therefore do next to nothing. Sora almost risked a glance back to see how Riku and the others were doing— whether or not they were faring any better.

But he decided at the last second to just disregard it all. He knew that after this, he wouldn't need to be energized anymore. He was going straight back to Merlin's house, if anyone but him had a say in what was going to happen. So he straightened up from his defensive stance, and pointed his Keyblade up straight towards the sky. He relied on every ounce of energy he could possibly pool forward, and raised his voice in a shout that was barbed with force and even something akin to anger. " _Thunder_!"

Instantaneously, the ground shook and trembled as a loud crack of thunder ripped over the graveyard. The air grew tense and electrified, and no sooner, streaks of white-hot lightning ran down in harsh, jagged lines. The strikes arched and branched out, slicing through every Heartless in proximity and causing them to disappear completely in a puff of darkness. Sora fought to keep not only his hold on his own weapon as it shook with the magic, but also to keep his own footing. It was never advised to use magic in too big of spurts; it was the one thing that Merlin would always lecture him over nearly every time they saw each other. But the situation needed such a huge spell, and it wasn't like Sora was having to save up for anything else.

He figured it was fine to expel whatever he could.

All the same, he could feel his energy gush out of him in waves. He fought the urge to stumble or slouch over and try to catch himself. Any movement at all, or any sidetrack in focus, and the spell would be cut short. He just gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes against the sensation and waited until the enchantment was finished. Until the flashes of white began to curtail and then fade altogether. Until the ear-shattering thunder relaxed back into silence, and until Sora found that he had nothing at all left to put into the conjure.

Once he did run out of strength to see it through, his Keyblade disappeared, and his arms fell back limp to his side. His head hung down low, and he found that he was left with a light sheen of sweat over his forehead. His breathing was shaking and a little haywire, and he had to focus to make sure that his knees did not buckle. But he looked up and felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the fact that the clearing of the graveyard was now empty. There was nothing left in the wake of the thunderstorm he had crafted— at least he had accomplished that much. But at the same time, he could remember now why he never just did this all the time. Really, it was amazing that he didn't get sick right on the spot.

At first, there was silence. Just people getting over the shock of the powerful spell. Sora was more known for his physical fighting skills; not his magic ones. But every once in a while, if the conditions were all right, he could pull out something pretty impressive. This case just happened to fit perfectly. The silence stretched on for so long, though, that Sora was starting to fear he had accidentally used too much for his magic, and he had accidentally hit the others in the process of it all.

But something heavy slammed into his back, and he knew that it was not the case. He knew that he couldn't stay upright with the weight either— he was far too weakened. So he fell to the ground like dead weight, and tried not to get too winded when he slammed to the ground. Scraping together enough power to put his hands down on the ground and turn himself over, he found himself looking straight up at Yuffie, who had followed him down to the ground and was now planting herself on top of him.

Her eyes were probably big enough to fill half her face. Going by her expression, he wasn't sure whether or not she was going to scream out of rage, or astonishment. He was hoping for the latter, and once she started yelling, he was fairly certain that it was. "What the _heck_!" she screeched, turning and looking down at Sora in frank disbelief. "You're— you're okay! You're perfectly fine, and— and we've been _looking everywhere for you!_ I cannot believe it, what's even _happening_!?"

"Your knee is on my stomach," Sora wheezed.

"But I don't _understand_!" Yuffie shrieked. "You were _hurt_! You could hardly walk! And now you're— you don't have a scratch on you! What happened!?"

Leon rushed over, and, to Sora's relief, batted her off of the younger so that he could breathe. "Get off him, Yuffie, c'mon." She flopped over to lay down on her side, looking awfully put-out with the rejection. Hurriedly, Leon leaned over and grabbed onto Sora's hand, pulling him up into a sitting position and instantly scanning over him with severe worry. "Sora, are you alright?" The question was habit now, because it was clear that he was perfectly alright. Too alright to even make sense.

He waited for that worry to make its tidal wave appearance, but instead, he was met with relief as Leon's lips only twitched upwards in a slow smile. "Well, look at that," he mused. He sat back a little bit, still looking him from head to toe. "Should have known if we just gave you some time, you'd figure something out." Sora grinned, the happiness over being treated normal for a change enough to banish every worry he had holed away. For now, at least. "But wouldn't you know it…"

Axel had resorted to sitting down on the ground by this point. He and Sora were sapped completely; you could see it in their faces. But now he was pushing himself back up, trying to ignore the way his body screamed at him to stop as he dragged towards the others. "We— we got some help from one of Sora's friends." Leon roused at this and turned to look back at the Nobody. His eyebrows shot up, but there was also something in his gaze that said: 'Why didn't we think of that?' "She fixed him. He's completely fine. We've just been—"

"You'd better have a _really_ good reason that you didn't come straight back to Merlin's!" Sora flinched and looked away at the yell. He didn't exactly have the stomach to face the person head-on. To Axel's credit, though, he managed it. He turned, already more than sobered, but clearly braced for what was inevitably to come. He _did_ basically kidnap Sora, after all. And that would be— well, technically speaking, that is, the second time such a thing had occurred. Usually by this point, you were jailed for life or something. Depending on the court.

Riku stopped just a yard away from them. His expression was changing every second, it seemed. When he looked over in Sora's direction, it was pleasantly shocked. When it flickered back over to Axel, it was still broiling with anger. Then both of them were guilt. But then when he looked over to Sora, it was confused. And then Axel was back to indignation. Whether that was because he was angry about Axel going behind his back, or because he was just remorseful that he did not take that leap of faith, had yet to be determined.

Axel grimaced wearily. "I realize that you're angry, and honestly, I would probably be angry at me too. I just saw a chance, and decided to take it, because our backs were to a wall, and there wasn't much else that could have gotten worse." When Riku still didn't look satisfied, Axel went on in a rush. "It all worked out, though! You can't tell me any different! We went to Hercules, and he got this— this goddess of healing to help Sora. He was—" He broke off for a second, then backtracked, deciding that he would just gloss over the details. "She fixed him entirely. Since then he's been fighting Heartless like it's nobody's business, but I guess you saw that, I'm probably just rambling because—" He puffed, hunching over and putting his hands on his knees. He shook his head. "Wow. I'm tired," he wheezed.

Riku looked over at Sora. He was currently being helped up by Leon, who still acted cautious with his touch, as if he didn't want to hurt him. "I thought potions didn't work," Riku said. The anger was gradually melting from his stare, though; he just looked at Sora as if he couldn't believe it. There was a hint of happiness that was hanging in the very back of his stare, but he was too wary to believe in it just yet. Because after all, just a few hours ago, Sora was nearly dead. Here he was now, having just wiped out a whole crowd of Heartless.

"Guess Merlin didn't think of using a _god_ ," Axel replied, wincing as he straightened up again. "But then again, I'm not into that kind of stuff either."

Yuffie sprang up to her feet. She put her hands on her hips, blowing out her cheeks for a second before: "You worried everyone, you know that right? We thought you two had vanished off the face of every world in existence." She glanced between the two, and instantly picked up on the slightly guilty look that flickered over Sora's face. This only seemed to spark another topic of conversation for her, because she instantly snapped to attention. "And what about you in the first place, Sora?" she demanded, whirling around to give him her undivided attention. He stiffened, taking himself away from Leon, who noticed his discomfort at once. "What was with that note? Aerith found it, she was so worried! What were you _thinking_? You could have _died,_ don't you realize that? And we were so worried when you didn't come back! Why didn't—"

Sora was cringing away from each and every pry. He started to open his mouth, struggling to scrape together some kind of response. But before he could, thanks to whatever person was in charge up there, they were interrupted. Jack Skellington pushed his way forward, breaking the tense moment as he so often had the acquired skill of doing. "Sora, thank goodness you're here!"

Instantly, he turned to focus on him instead. Yuffie wilted a little bit at the obvious refusal to speak to her. For a second, she looked like she was going to ask her question again. But she closed her mouth after a second, fuming to herself as she took a backseat to what else had to come forward. She made a mental note not to leave the question sitting idle, though. She was sure that nobody else was going to forget either, and uptake the chore if they so had to. Aerith would be demanding the exact same thing once they got back.

Jack went on quickly, overworked, it seemed. But they all were, so he just had to join the club. "That no good Oogie Boogie is back! And he's stronger than ever, it seems! He's got those Heartless around every corner, wreaking havoc! Just the other day, they completely destroyed the newest project I was working on for this year's Halloween!" He waved his hand dismissively, though— something that was entirely uncalled for, given that Jack was never the person to let things like this go. Typically, 'projects' for holidays – Halloween _or_ Christmas – was all he cared about. Apparently not right now, though. "But it's gotten worse every day. I don't even like it when Sally is outside anymore— they've started attacking anyone and everyone, and they're _much_ stronger than before." His eyes rounded out just a little bit. In a sense of desperation. "They've been hurting people. They've hurt _her_. And I just _know_ that Oogie won't stop there! Not this time!"

Sora completely forgot how tired he was. He even forgot how the others were still looking at him in shock. He was silent for a second, just to absorb the knowledge that had been given. From what he had seen, certainly, these Heartless _were_ forces to be reckoned with. The fact that Jack looked so concerned with safety and not with holidays was enough to drive the point home, though. He blinked and glanced down at the ground, his forehead creasing over a little bit. 'They've hurt _her_.' Against better judgement, Sora found his gaze drawn to the side, where Kairi was standing.

She didn't look like she knew what to do. She was hugging herself tightly, and her blue eyes were huge, and just a little pained. When Sora looked over at her, and their gazes met, she bit down hard on her lower lip, her expression almost impossible to decipher. Sora's forehead creased just a little bit. There was a pit of sorrow in his stomach; one that tied him into knots and made it hard to focus on what was in front of him. Bu he did manage to drag his eyes back to Jack, he gave a small nod. "Yeah. We'll help."

Leon and Yuffie stepped forward at the same time. And at the same time, they refused the notion.

"No we can't," Yuffie snapped.

Over her, Leon said: "Sora, that's not something we can do right now."

Sora turned, surprised that they would be the ones to refute him. Certainly, they seemed disheartened. Yuffie was the first to speak up. "We can't do anything right now. First things first is we have to reconvene with the others. They're still out looking for you, Sora, they're still really worried." When he looked like he was going to argue, she kept up. "It was just luck that Kairi and Riku were here. We've got to get the others together to tell them that you're safe." Her eyes flickered over him, and a touch of a smile ghosted over her face. "And now that you're healed…well, this changes our whole game plan!"

"No it doesn't," Axel interjected. Everyone turned to look at him, and Sora was noticeably angered at once. He was well aware of his friend's hot stare— he maintained eye contact with him for about two seconds before he continued. "We can't keep going. Well… _Sora_ can't keep going." Riku's eyes narrowed, and Axel turned to acknowledge him especially. "You were right, I think. I think…I think you were right when you said that he wasn't ready." This was barely a mumble, but the others heard it anyway. Sora stiffened, but he disregarded it. "It's been too much."

Sora scowled. "Axel." It was only one word, but it was flat enough to get his point across.

Axel flashed him a regretful look. "Sora, you _know_ that I want you to succeed, it's just—"

Riku was looking in between them in confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

" _Nothing_ is wrong!" Sora replied, his voice accidentally raising into a sharp yell. The group was left to quiet under the weight of his snap. Awkwardness and pity made the air about ten times heavier. Even Jack seemed a little dubious at the boy's attitude. He was never one to yell— not to friends. Sora regretted it, but he wasn't about to give up without a fight. He looked at the others, from each one, with a certain degree of desperation. "Listen, have you guys _seen_ anything weird?" he demanded. He was only met with blank stares. So he took in a quick breath and went on. "Something that…something that just doesn't make sense, and then you blink, and it's gone?"

Kairi took a small step forward. She made a move as if she was about to reach over to touch him, but she pulled back at the last second. Instead, she just shook her head, looking confused. "No, none of us have," she said. Softly, like they were trying to keep a secret. When really, it was all starting to get out into the open now. "Why? Is that…is that happening to _you_?"

Sora was open-mouthed. He was lost. He turned and looked over to Riku. An old habit. He was looking for help, or for some kind of reassurance. Riku didn't look like himself anymore, and so it had been ages since Sora had been able to feel that same closeness the two had shared ever since they had been little kids. But now, he was turning to him for support, and it more than apparent that Riku might as well have been slapped with the look. "Riku?" Sora asked, his voice a bit smaller. "You know what I mean…right?"

Riku only seemed worried though. And there was enough sorrow and guilt there as well, to fill an entire ocean. He rasped: "You're seeing things?"

Sora's shoulders went slack. His last hope was shot through, and it left him with nothing. Nothing, of course, but the idea that he was crazy. He was seeing things that nobody else could, and that nobody else could make sense of. It didn't sit right with him; of course it didn't, though. It wasn't because he knew that something was wrong with the notion. It was just because he was _hoping_ that there would be. "Y-Yeah, but…" Words failed him. They did that a lot these days. It was like trying to find something in the dark. He was groping for something, but it always seemed to be just out of arm's reach. "But it's not…like _that_ …"

Silence reigned for a while, as the friends just stared at one another. There was sadness in the gazes that were exchanged, and there was also confusion. But it was mostly sadness. Axel was the first to speak up, and he did so with a hard edge to his tone. "Where's Merlin? Have you guys found him yet? That was what Sora was trying to do, we just kind of got…sidetracked." He shrugged. "Maybe…I dunno, maybe he'd be able to help."

Yuffie looked downcast. "If anyone's found them, we wouldn't know. Last I knew, it was the same. He's just…gone."

Leon seemed to be falling into step right behind Axel. "We should get back." The way he was looking at Sora was enough to set the other's skin crawling, so he tried not to look at it. Or at least focus on it too much. "We can figure out what to do from there, but we really should leave." Sora tried to object. One final time, at least. But Leon was already turning over to Jack, who looked just as put-out. "I'm sorry. I wish we could help. But right now, we have to do something."

Jack looked over at Sora. He was more than alarmed. "Sora?" he prompted.

It seemed like everyone was putting forward these final attempts. However much in vain they all were.

Sora fought the urge to look away. It took all he had inside of him to hold the other's stare level. "I'll come back," he promised weakly. "I just…don't think that…" _I don't think I would be the help you need right now._ "I don't think that it will take too long," he amended lamely. "So…so don't worry. It'll be fine." Axel grew to look guiltier and guiltier as the exchange went on. "I'll be back. I promise."

Jack was unenthused. "What do I do about Oogie while you're gone?"

Sora offered a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You're the Pumpkin King," he dignified. Sure enough, there was a degree of change in Jack's eyes. A sense of confidence that came back bit by bit. "You're the _best_ at dealing with these problems. He's got _nothing_ on you."

He perked. "You're right!" he declared. "I've got to keep _my_ town safe! There's no one else for the job, anyway! We'll be waiting for you here, Sora! Your help is always appreciated!" It never really took a lot to comfort Jack. But still, Sora felt hollow, despite the other's inflated attitude. He watched Jack turn and head away, back towards the town. A sullen frown was weighed over his face, and his heart felt like it was twenty times heavier than it usually was.

He waited for the weight to lift. He waited to feel the comfort as well, like he usually did whenever he was able to help someone. Or at the very least, he tried to tell himself the same thing. _You're the Keyblade Bearer. You're the_ best _at dealing with these problems. You've got_ all _of this. It's got_ nothing _on you._

But it did nothing to help.

In fact, with how fake it sounded, it just made him feel worse.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

He trudged through Hollow Bastian, his head a little bit ducked as he tracked the pavement underneath his shoes. Yuffie and Leon were up front and leading; with the rushed pace they had set, they were nearly back to Merlin's house. Axel was trailing behind, still trying to gather strength back after his magic spell. Sora was dragging even further, though. Part of it was because he was too bone-tired to move keep up, and the other part was just because this was the last direction he wanted to be walking.

Funny, how he had come so far in terms of physical recovery, and he was still going to end up right back where he was before.

Riku and Kairi were flanking him. Kairi was wringing her hands together with nervousness, while Riku kept glancing his way when he thought he wasn't looking. They had been walking like this throughout the entirety of the town. Though Sora's feet dragged, he was doing better than he thought he would in terms of swallowing what he actually wanted, and going back to Merlin's. But the closer they got, the worse it felt. He felt like a kid that was being dragged away from a fun party where all their friends had been. Except, in reality, it was something much graver than that.

They were just rounding the last corner it would take to get back to the small cottage, when Sora slowed to a stop. The others continued to walk for a second, but they stopped and turned back when they realized that Sora had come to standstill. His forehead creased in pain, and he just stared at the pavement, allowing the swell of disappointment to eat at him. Riku glanced back at the group ahead. "We'll catch up," he said. "Go on ahead."

Yuffie and Leon followed orders after they exchanged a saddened look. Axel hesitated for a little bit longer, deflated as he looked at his friend. But he got the message just as much, and he turned around and started away, too. Eventually, it was just Riku and Kairi that were left over. The three friends were silent for a long stretch of time. Awkwardly and depressingly so. After a while, Riku spoke up a tad reluctantly. "It's not anything that… _you_ did wrong, Sora. It's not your fault." Sora closed his eyes in frustration, but just turned away. He wasn't in the mood to fight aloud right now. He just reached up and ran a hand glumly through his hair.

Kairi burst out from where she stood. "Sora, I'm sorry." He perked at the heartfelt apology. He turned over and realized with a jolt of shock that her eyes were raw with emotion. "I'm sorry that you've felt so out of it recently, and I know this isn't helping, but I really, really hope you know that I didn't ever want to be the reason you feel like that." She paused, trying to gather herself as best she could. "Because you're the last person in the world that deserves to feel this way, and…and I didn't want to replace you with my Keyblade. Because I _can't_ replace you. _Nobody_ can. So _please_ don't think that you're any less important with all of this."

It all kind of poured out of her in the moment. It was just because she had been thinking about what to say to Sora ever since he had left. But she could tell that she was doing a pretty poor job in explaining herself. She closed her eyes briefly before taking in a deep breath and starting over. "You just…I want to help you. _We_ want to help you." She glanced over at Riku with this. "We want you to be happy, and we want to be part of the reason that you _are_. Like we used to be. You know? A lot's changed since then, but that doesn't have to. You know?"

Sora looked at her for a long moment, completely silent. Eventually, he managed a reply. "I know." A small pause. Then: "I just can't help but want _everything_ to be back the way it was."

Kairi reached over, grabbing his hand in an earnest fashion. "It can," she promised quickly. "And until it can, we'll be with you every step of the way."

Riku spoke up from where he stood. "You're not alone, Sora. Not when you have us."

He looked from one to the other. He'd finally found them after all this time, and up until now, he had somehow still felt far away. There was a reason it had felt that way, of course. And those reasons were still prominent; they hadn't disappeared. But…still. It almost brought him back to the days where all they had to do was loiter around on the beach and listen to the sound of the waves. Where their biggest problem was whether or not they could find something fun to pass the time with.

Kairi realized that she was still holding onto his hand, and that now, he was holding onto hers. She flushed red with embarrassment, and drew her shoulders a bit closer in. She tilted her head a little bit to the side, and the way she was looking at him, Sora wondered whether or not she was trying her best to memorize every detail on his face. "I thought we were never going to find you again," she confessed softly.

He stared at her just as steadily. And just as quietly, he admitted: "I didn't want you to find me. Not yet."

She was understandably upset. But Riku was the one to step forward. He seemed strained. Seeing his friend – specifically Sora – this upset was different, and harrowing. "Why?" he asked. However, the way he asked, it almost seemed like he didn't want the answer. "Was it because of something we did?"

Sora started to say something. He started to open his mouth and cram out something that caused his stomach to clench and his head to swim with nausea. He was about to reply, that was, before his eyes caught onto something. A figure that was standing down the passageway, completely motionless and staring at him. He turned around, his eyes widening and horror slicing into his heart.

Only a few short yards away, stood a hooded figure. It was that same Organization cloak, and that same chilling aura that Sora had seen more than just a few times now. And just like all those other times, the person just stood there, their hidden gaze burning a hole through the young boy. They made absolutely no advance. It wasn't like the time in the forest. But they were there all the same, and their hands were clasped tightly behind their back, as if they were waiting for something to happen.

He went rigid, and Kairi immediately picked up on the distress. She held a little bit tighter to his hand, and she took a step forward. "Sora?" she asked. "Sora, what's wrong? What's the matter?"

He looked over at her quickly, and his eyes immediately shone a little bit brighter. Yes… _yes!_ "Look!" he yelled, grabbing tighter to her hand and spinning her around towards the hooded figure. She stumbled a little bit and squeaked, but she regained her balance by tugging on Sora. She righted herself and looked down the way he aimed her. Riku did the same, and Sora felt his heart soar as their eyes found home with the unknown person. Slowly, Riku's expression was melting into confusion. And Kairi was looking quickly in between Sora and the person. "You see them!" Sora gasped. "That person in the cloak! I _told_ you!"

The pair was silent.

Kairi spoke up first, her blue eyes still resting on the figure. "I don't…I don't see anything, Sora."

He jerked, his eyes widening immediately. "W-What!?" he asked. He looked down the pavement to check, but the person was still there. Still standing, like a statue. His stomach dropped out from under him. "You're…you're looking right at them!"

Riku looked at Sora. His confusion was slowly shifting to thought. "There's…nothing down there."

Sora wilted. "But…but you're looking right at them…they're…they're right there…"

The person turned and started to walk away. Slowly, as if they weren't in any rush. Sora just watched lamely as they turned the corner and disappeared from view. He had no idea where they were going. But the more important aspect of it all was that he had no idea why Riku and Kairi were unable to see them. They had looked _right at them_. Their eyes had fallen right where the person had been standing. And yet…they didn't even blink. What did that mean? _What did that mean_? Was he…he was…was he going—?

Kairi turned back to look at him. He could see his own fears reflected in her, and that just made it all the more worse. But when she did speak, she was trying her best to be reassuring. "Don't worry about it," she willed him. "We'll figure it out. We'll figure it all out. Together. We'll stick together from now on."

Sora stared at her with a slightly open mouth. He turned to look at Riku as well. But there wasn't an answer in either of their faces. Only the question that he himself was afraid to get out. But it came out anyway, bursting forward just because he could not keep it in any longer. "Am I okay?"

Riku's expression flashed over in pain, but he continued to glance from Sora, to the spot that had been completely empty, still trying to make sense of it.

Kairi immediately bit down on her lower lip. Her eyes began to water, but she smiled quickly. "You're always okay," she replied. Ducking forward, she let go of Sora's hand just to wrap her arms tightly around his middle. She buried her head away into his shoulder, and clung fast.

Sora was able to move against the shock that was chilling him to the bone.

But it was only to embrace Kairi just as tightly, and to help hold himself together by holding fast to her.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"It's workin' like a charm!" he chortled, throwing his head back as he fell into obnoxious laughter. "I never thought somethin' like this would be this _funny_!" He turned and looked upwards, the effort of seeing the other causing his head to touch his back. "Ya certainly know what you're doin' up there! But _you're_ just lucky I'm so great at controllin' those Heartless! _That's_ the hard part!"

He didn't wait for a reply; by this point, he was more than certain he wouldn't be given one. "You think you could pick up the _slack_ , though? We need to get more of this show on the road! We've got people to see, and things to do! Or…at least, _I_ do! But don't go forgettin' what I did for ya!" He rushed to add this last part. He had to make sure this guy knew exactly what this was about. He wasn't planning on losing power all over again, like last time. Now, _he_ was going to be in charge of all this. Nobody else was.

He could see the other scowl down at him, and he was quick to amend. " _But_ that's not sayin' nothin'! We just got more to do is all! If ya stick with the plan, we'll have everything we've _ever wanted_. And the faster that goes— well, I don't think I gotta tell ya what happens from there!" He roared that same laugh again. He couldn't help it. It was all completely hilarious to him. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them furiously, as if he was about to dig into some amazing meal. But no— for once, it was something better than that. "You'll get all ya wanted and more! And _I'll_ get the _same thing_!"

The other let out a growl at the declaration. Not one of anger, but of impatience and hunger. A hunger that had been festering for years now. Their eyes were shining with the anger that had been bottled up, and the rage that was waiting to be unleashed. At his side, his hand clenched into a tight fist, and his teeth gnashed together in harsh contempt.

The person who had spoken up first noticed each of these factors, and he was immediately caught with a large wave of satisfaction. His eyes narrowed into mischievous slits, and an ugly smile sprawled over his face. Inside, he felt a sense of something akin to giddiness. He was like a little kid on Christmas morning, looking at something and realizing that there was untapped potential in anything and everything. Because there _was_ anything to be had, at this point. For him, at least.

He swung around and began to stalk away, unable to wipe his smile off his face.

And as he went, and started to call the Heartless up towards him, that was all he could reflect upon.

Anything.

They were close to getting rid of that stupid brat.

And from then on, they could have _anything_.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Why is this 22 pages long? Why is it 20,000 words long? How did it come this far? How did I reach this point in life?

The world will never know.

I start college in about a week, and I'm not sure how much time that will swallow up for me. But I will keep all of my stories in mind, and I'm super excited to write more for this story in particular, as well as one other. So when it comes to updates, I'll probably end up sagging back into the ten review minimum rule that helped me during school. So reviews will help me out a bunch now. I hope you guys will understand, and be patient with me as I try to collect myself. It doesn't help that I'm already stressing out.

Every chapter, the answer to everything will get clearer and clearer. Maybe a few of you already have guesses as to what's going on. I apologize for any typos or errors, as well— I would be glad to fix anything I possibly could. I've just been working on this chapter for about a week now, and it's midnight. So I am very tired. And…yup! I hope you like this extra long chapter! It certainly took me much longer than I thought it would to get this out. I didn't exactly mean to let it get this long haha.

Let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: If anyone is still reading this story! I am so sorry for the enormous break. Once I started college, I slammed directly into a huge brick wall, and actually for a while, I was almost certain I would not get around it at all. I ended up going through a very difficult time, and in such a time, I really only could bring myself to write about certain things— things and messages that were in other stories and not this one. I've had five pages of this chapter written for almost an entire year, I just could never drag myself over to it when I was going through everything else, and could barely gather together the motivation to do schoolwork. I am relieved to say that, although I slip and fall a couple times here and there, I've dug myself out of my pit.

But the additional issue is that I've been debating whether or not I should continue with this story at all. It definitely does not seem to be as popular as the first one, and I said from the very beginning if I felt as though I was ruining the first story, I would stop. Especially after such a large gap, I don't even know if people would still be willing to read this. I would love feedback on that thought, it would really help. Because while I do have the time now, and I still have so many ideas for this story that hasn't even really started yet, I do not want to write a sequel that ruins the first story. So.

I also had to take longer with this because my laptop had to have a devil cleanse for viruses.

I hope there are still people out there reading! And if there are, thank you so much, I'm sorry for the break, and I hope this chapter makes it worth it!

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

It's almost funny how polar the situation was. The welcome back should have been filled with relief and happiness— it should have been marked with cheers and laughter and apologies from each and every person involved, which would help to successfully bury the hatchet. There should have been hugs, and relieved outbursts of affection. Most importantly, there should have been no hard feelings, and there should have been the undeniable message that there was nobody to be blamed from this, and from this point on, there would be nothing but patient love and support. There should have been all of those things and more, when Sora finally came back to Merlin's from his stint away.

But that wasn't what happened, when Sora stepped over the threshold of the small home.

What actually happened, was something much more hollow, and weary.

At first, the friends who had been horrified and stricken by Sora's absence, were over the moon to see him there in Merlin's house, and of course they were shocked to see that he was completely without injury. Aerith nearly fainted on the spot when she saw him walk in by himself, perfectly able to do so, even if he did drag a bit with exhaustion. Cid had rushed forward as well, his own shock splayed out on his face when he realized that he wasn't even limping. In seeing that he was perfectly fine and not at all hurt, Cid had given himself permission to move and clap a hand down hard on his shoulder, then, and he'd shouted out something that Sora didn't really pay attention to.

In fact, Sora didn't pay much attention to any of it at all. When everyone clustered around him in the aftermath of his return, and when they tried to talk to him or possibly wriggle out answers, he just stared blankly ahead. The only responses he gave were hollowed-out and mumbled. Even when Donald and Goofy rushed at him and nearly knocked him over with their hard embrace, Sora barely batted an eye. He certainly didn't react to tackle them with just as much excitement, like he normally would. Staring at them almost blankly, he only went so far as to offer a small: "Hi" that barely escaped his mouth in the first place.

Such a thing was instantly enough to spring tension up into the air, and squash whatever atmosphere of welcome the friends had been trying to piece together. It made doing anything like what _should_ have happened, pretty much impossible. By the time everyone was regathered, and the realization came to be that nobody could was going to get much of anything out of Sora, it was laying thick over the room like a blanket. Kairi stuck near Sora, a nervous shadow, whose eyes flickered worriedly over to him nearly every other second. Her hands were wringing tightly in front of her, and making her nervousness all that more apparent. Riku stayed near Sora as well, though he did so from a ways back, trying to be more discreet about his efforts.

So the situation _was_ polar. Instead of getting any kind of satisfaction or relief in finally having their friend back, once everyone realized what state they had _gotten_ him back in, they were just left confused and awkward. It was clear that nobody knew what they should say, or do. And for a heartbeat or so after the initial entrance, there was nothing but silence and the exchange of uncomfortable glances. Standing loosely in a group, in the middle of the mess of books and papers on the floor, everyone just took to waiting for someone else to speak first, or take charge. They took to waiting to see if something would magically click, and it would all turn on its head to improve. Of course, the hope of such a thing occurring was a vain one.

Just like the tension over Sora's state of mine was clear, it was also clear that now nobody was really sure on what they should do. Or at the very least, they were preferring to wait until someone with more courage than them would try and chalk something up. This entire time, the group as a whole had all been driven by an agreed-upon singular objective, which was to find Sora. Now that they had done just that, and so suddenly and out of the blue, it was like everyone was trying to recover from whiplash. They were left reeling, looking from each other to their silent friend, and wondering how things got to this, and what they were supposed to do in light of it.

Aerith, such in a habit of doing so after all this time, and unnerved by her friend's sudden out of character silence, sidled over to Sora and scraped up enough courage to lean over and whisper to him. "Are you okay?" Sora turned over to look at her upon the inquiry, and she saw that his expression was weighted down with something akin to exhaustion. This only worried her even more. "Do you need anything?" She started to reach out gingerly, as if she wanted to take hold of his arms and help him keep upright. Again, it was a sheer force of habit. "You look tired; maybe you should sit down before—"

"I'm fine," Sora rejected, his voice coming out oddly short. "I don't need anything."

Aerith wilted, disappointment welling forward to color her features. She opened her mouth, planning to say something more. But before she could get the chance, Leon took up the role that everyone else was trying to avoid. Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a few steps forward to signal himself out from the rest of the group. And, trying not to let his gaze linger too long over Sora, his eyes flickered over them as a whole. A little bluntly, for lack of anything better, he resorted to a rather lame: "Alright. We need to decide where to go from here."

A truly genius display of leadership.

Cid didn't seem all that swayed though, however astonishing the fact was. "Can't we decide where things went _before_ now?" he demanded. He turned over to look at Sora, and the teenager tried to ignore the sternness that was now shooting daggers over in his direction. The celebratory mood the older man had seemed to have, worn off in him once the situation had gone on; he was right back to the stiff personality he always was. And after all the shared history, Sora was trying hard not to feel guilty and disappointed at the narrowed look he was currently receiving. "I want some answers. Like why ya left in the first place. And how come you're suddenly bouncin' around like it's no one business."

"We don't need to get into it," Axel rejected.

At the same time, Sora replied: "I'm not bouncing."

The two broke off, turning to look at each other with their mutual interruption. Axel shifted with a little sign of discomfort; his eyebrows pulled together, and his forehead creased. He looked at the younger boy with something awfully close to guilt. Something that had stayed a permanent resident on his face ever since he had told his friend they couldn't stay out in the worlds. Sora held his gaze for a split second before he turned away, back over to Cid. He did so in a pointed gesture; thankfully, he was not able to see the dejection that came over the other's face and regret it. "I got healed by someone," he said, not pausing for any type of detail.

Kairi grimaced at the flatness in his voice.

"Mhm." Cid was still rigid as he looked the other up and down. "And you didn't come right back why? Because you were having too much fun out there?" he demanded. Sora blew out a huff of air underneath his breath, trying to keep a lid on building frustration. He knew that this was just how the older man _was_. That ever since day one Sora had stumbled into his shop, Cid showed affection mainly through the use of snapping and getting cross with him. He couldn't really manage much else, and Sora knew that. So the frustration was mainly there, and Sora was mainly focusing on it, simply because he knew right underneath it would be palpable remorse and regret, that he had caused distress. He was forcing that all down to be the secondary emotion, and he was not about to let himself focus on that at the moment.

The stinging he felt in his chest only increased at the knowledge that there was truth to the indignant question. "I got caught up in things," Sora just pressed. Where he stood a few feet away, Axel's eyes narrowed just slightly. Before Cid could fire any more questions back, which Sora knew without a doubt he would, the keybearer swept on. "Look, that's what we need to be focusing on, right now," he snapped. "I stayed out there because everything is _wrong_." He turned, looking urgently at those who were around him, trying to look past their bewildered expressions, which still held the smallest shadows of sorrow. "None of the worlds are _safe_ right now! Every place I went to, Heartless were crawling! They need our _help_!"

"Still doesn't explain why ya let us think you just walked off into the sunset and never even glanced over your shoulder," Cid refuted. "You _should've_ come back." Sora's shoulders drooped, and he turned heavily back around, a little bit of that stifled guilt crawling back over his face. He kept silent though, biting down on the inside of cheek as if it was some form of distraction. "We always knew about the Heartless, and how they were everywhere. What we didn't know about, kid, was _you_. You gave us all heart attacks."

"Yeah, yeah, I…I know," Sora sighed. He glanced down at the ground and listened as the silence came back to deafen everyone that was gathered. The pause stretched out more and more; it seemed to last for years, or maybe even ages. He closed his eyes and took in a slow breath before he forced himself to speak. The words, however, fell heavy like stones out of his mouth. "I'm sorry." Axel hesitated for brief second before he looked off to the side. He couldn't bring himself to look at him. Still keeping his head ducked, Sora continued with a soft: "I should have come back. And…I didn't. So. I'm sorry."

Even after the apology, nobody spoke. Glancing up at them hesitantly, Sora realized that they were all staring at him with those piteous expressions. They were the same looks that they'd always worn whenever they would look at him when he was too broken to do anything but lay on a bed, or when he would try and get used to walking again, but ultimately just get frustrated and trip over himself. They were the looks that hung in the back of his mind and drove him to stay away from Hollow Bastian in the first place, even when he was fully recovered and functioning.

And now, here he was, dragged all the way back here, just so that he could stare at them all over again.

Kairi was his saving grace. He sagged with a little bit of relief as she piped up from his side. "We forgive you, Sora." Her tone of voice was soothing, but at the same time, it was a warning to anyone else that they should not push him anymore. "We're just glad that you're back now." He looked over at her from the corner of his eye, and she immediately brightened to offer him a kind smile. She waited to see whether or not he would return it. He did, after a brief pause, but she was slightly disheartened to realize that the expression didn't quite reach his eyes, or brighten his face.

Cid still seemed miffed; he was looking at Sora intently still, but he kept a wise head to stay mute however much he seemed to want to still. The others that were gathered seconded Kairi's sentiments, with soft mummers of: 'It's okay' or 'Don't worry about it, Sora.' Goofy and Donald especially lit up like lightbulbs; Goofy rushed forward himself to cover Sora with yet another bracing hug that nearly knocked him backwards. Sora lifted his arms this time, to return the embrace. It wasn't with nearly enough fervor to even match his friend's, but a little bit of the tension was eased, still, and the atmosphere turned just a little bit more relaxed.

Leon took the chance to move forward from this. He knew Sora well enough to not let him linger for too much longer under such a hot spotlight. And if they sat here berating him and dragging out answers by force, they would do a whole lot more damage than they would do any fixing. So he cleared his throat in a loud manner, to snatch everyone's attention back to him instead. "We need to reorganize," he said, his tone snapping back into business quickly. "Sora's right with what he said— the Heartless issue is widespread. We knew that already, though. What we didn't know was how bad it was getting, all around." He paused for a moment, thinking, before he shook his head, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "You can't go ten feet without getting ambushed. They're _everywhere_. And they're spreading."

Goofy nodded vigorously. "They sure are! We went all the way to Agrabah while we were lookin' for Sora! They were all around, weren't they, Donald?"

Donald was already fuming, which should have been answer enough. With him, it usually was. "Stupid things," he grumbled, glaring at the floor as if that was the source of all these issues. "It's like you kill one, and thirty more pop up." He shook his head furiously, looking over at Sora as he continued. "This is ridiculous; we took care of them all before! They shouldn't be springing up everywhere! Especially now that Maleficent is taken care of!"

Sora slowly perked and straightened just a fraction, as the duck fell back into this familiar routine. It was the first time in a long time that Donald – or anyone, really – included him in a manner such as this: talking about what was occurring and how it came about. Being objective, and straightforward, and actually including him in whatever the heck was going on. And to have Donald do it, with Goofy just beside him, was enough to wrench him back into how things used to be, for a brief moment. It was like nothing had happened, and they had just made a pit-stop at Merlin's to try and figure things out.

A smile started to ghost over his face, despite his friend's obvious irritation, and Sora actually started to try and help brainstorm. "Well, actually—"

Leon was speaking already, though. Sora's voice was too quiet, and so the teenager was left to stiffen and abruptly snap his mouth closed as he was overtaken. "That's the thing," Leon was saying. "With Maleficent gone, it's either the Heartless are gaining numbers and a mind of their own, or someone else is in charge of them." He paused briefly, and in the hesitation, his eyes grew significantly darker. "And _if_ someone is controlling them, then that person is much more powerful than she was."

"Powerful isn't the right word," Riku replied, speaking up for the first time since they'd gotten back. "Reckless is better. Or maybe just plain stupid. There's no… _strategy_ to any of them. There's no pattern or meaning behind where they are, or how they move. They're just scattered, like the person either doesn't know what to do with them, or they just don't _care_." Sora's expression began to fall as thought crowded his eyes. "But even if there's not meaning behind the Heartless, it doesn't take away any strength that they have." He shifted his leg a little bit, where he apparently had gotten swiped by one, going by the discomfort that sprung over him. "They're tougher, and stronger, than they've been."

Axel looked over at Sora, waiting for the younger to take the initiative to try and speak up again. He was there, after all, and nobody else was. Relaying what had happened with Oogie would be just the thing for him to get involved, at least a little bit. He couldn't be out there – his panic attack had shown that much – but if he was truly only wanting to show people he could be helpful, just talking about it could be enough. Right? Sensing Axel's stare resting on him, Sora turned to look over his way. Once he did, Axel raised his eyebrows and nodded just a little bit, as if he was trying to nudge him along. But Sora just drew up in a defensive stiffen; he ignored Axel quickly and just looked away again.

The Nobody blew out a quick exhale of air. The outright rejection was like a punch to the gut, but he quickly moved past it. He knew that he was right in what he had done before. Letting Sora stay out in the field like this just wasn't a good idea; Sora wasn't ready for such a strain, and he had showed that repeatedly. So he cleared his throat, and took the task upon himself instead. "Sora and I actually ran into Oogie Boogie while we were at Halloween Town."

When he saw mostly confusion from the others that weren't clued in, he had to backtrack. Even though he himself just met the guy three hours ago. Still, he was a pretty good judge of character, in that he didn't like him one bit. "He's the…the head person in charge there, when it comes to villains, I guess. Like Maleficent was here— he's the root of all the issues." He glanced at Sora and waited again for some sort of interaction. When he didn't get one, he resigned himself to the silence. "He was harassing us for a while, and it was clear that he wasn't a big fan on the whole 'letting us leave peacefully' kind of thing. He said he was working with some people; he didn't mention names, he just said 'they' and 'him.'"

Donald stomped a foot heavily down on the floor. "Oogie is back!?" he squawked hotly. "How!?"

Axel didn't reply, and this time, Sora actually did speak. "We don't know," he said. He seemed just as frustrated as Donald, though his was much more controlled than his sidekick's. Which wasn't really that hard to do, considering Donald was the equivalent to a heated volcano, ready to erupt at any second. "He was just _there_ — he ambushed us, with a bunch of Heartless behind him. And they listened to him— did what he wanted them to do. He had complete control." He thought for a second but resorted to a small shrug. "I think whoever he was talking about…whoever 'they' were…might have been the people to bring him back."

"Who's strong enough to do that?" Aerith asked, her eyes wide and huge.

Sora shook his head. "No idea. We tried to find out, but…he was just really vague about it. He wouldn't tell us much of anything. Just that— just that whoever he was with had told him everything." He paused for a second, his mind flying back to the way that Oogie had openly ridiculed him, throwing it in his face that he knew all about what Sora had been subjected to, and 'how he was now.' He had to quickly shove all of that aside before he could continue, so his thoughts could not be sensed in his voice. "He knew everything that had happened before now— whoever he was with apparently had to know it all."

There was silence again, as the others slowly digested this new piece of news. They looked disturbed and worked-up; at Sora's side, Kairi had gone stiff as a board. Riku was the one to speak first, and sure enough, his eyes were narrowed down into defensive slits. "You think Maleficent is back?" he demanded.

Axel was quick to shake his head. "No way! She's gone— we made sure of that."

Donald shot him a glare. "Get in line!" he scoffed. "That didn't stop her before."

Yuffie grimaced and ducked down, reaching up to rub at her forehead. "This is insane!" she yelled, out of sheer frustration. "What are we supposed to _do_!? If— if everything keeps _coming_ back like it has been, and never leaves permanently, what are we supposed to do about it?" She shook her head, as if to try and clear it somehow. "The Heartless are spreading, and they're getting stronger. What are we going to do about? There's nothing we _can_ do…right? Not logically!"

Sora started to say something, but, once again, he was beat before he could do anything of the sort. Leon growled, set off by the argument. "We can't just leave everyone to fend for themselves. If the other worlds fall, then it's just a matter of time before we do too." There was a mumbling of agreement from everyone else; Goofy and Donald straightened up at once, as if they were preparing themselves to follow some set of oncoming orders from him. Sora watched with a bland expression, feeling as though he was somewhere miles away from the others.

"We just need to fight," Leon pressed on, just as forceful. "We need to keep on fighting, and we need to find the source of whatever this is. We need to sort everything out, like we have up until now. Alright?" Again, there was chorus of agreement and solidarity. He leaned backwards a bit in satisfaction. "It might not be much, but it's all that we've got. It's all we can do, and if that's the best thing that's there, then it's what we're going with. We've always given one hundred and ten percent; that won't change now, just because things are getting difficult."

"Then it's settled," Riku conceded. "We've got to keep going. We've got to spread out even more, and we've got to fight even harder. If this problem gets any bigger, then—"

"I want to fight, too." Sora finally drew the line in the sand. Though his hands were curled into fists at his sides in a sharp sign of nervousness, he did not back down, or show regret for letting the wish blunder out. Riku turned to him at once, a little caught off-guard by his sudden intrusion. Unsurprisingly, Sora watched his face fall in discomfort at the demand. So he took in a quick breath and continued. "Look at me," he said, gesturing to himself a little impatiently. "I'm _fine_. I'm ready— I can _fight_ ; I can _help_!"

Aerith smiled, her eyes lighting up immediately. "Yeah!" she chirped. "Now we can—"

"Sora, you can't," Axel cut in. Immediately, Sora soured, and he rounded on him with an indignant scowl. "You're not ready to go back out there yet, and you know that." He felt more than uncomfortable, acknowledging the fact so bluntly while everyone was staring at the two of them. Putting Sora out to dry in front of everyone was the last thing he wanted to do. Yet here they were.

Sora regarded him only with stubbornness. "I'm perfectly fine. You saw how I was beating all those Heartless! I—"

Axel realized that, unless he wanted to have a full-blown argument with Sora in front of the entire group here, he had no choice but to go back on what he wanted. He didn't have any choice _but_ to put him out to dry. "Sora, you're _seeing_ things!" Immediately, the Nobody could see him double back in anger and embarrassment. It practically colored his entire face, once the room quieted over in shock. From those who did not already know, that was. Axel deflated over at the sharp reaction from his friend, and his voice was noticeably more worn when he elaborated. "You're seeing the Organization around every corner, and they're _not_ there. They're not. You point at empty air, and you say there's someone there with a cloak. You see the floor of your old cell underneath leaves in a forest, Sora, that's not _okay_!"

The younger was trying to hide how worked up he was getting. But it was getting increasingly difficult, and everyone was able to see the fact that he was beginning to shake. "You're seeing things too, Axel!" he pointed out, managing to keep his voice in check, for now. "You said that you saw a girl back at Halloween Town! You said that she had black hair and blue eyes and that she ran into the forest! You say you didn't see Xaldin, but I didn't see _her_ , either! So if I have to stay here because of that, then you should have to stay back too!"

He shook his head. "Sora, you really just need to slow down. You understand that, right?" Sora glared a hole through him, keeping his lips tightly pressed and refusing to answer the question. But it wasn't really one that needed an answer, in the first place. It was so obvious, the answer was already sitting there. "The Organization is _dead_. _Everyone_ can agree on that— they're the _reason_ that they're dead right now. But you're still seeing them. That means this whole thing— it's _sticking_ to you. You can't move on from it, and it's gotten so bad you— you freeze up, and you mumble, and you need _help_ , Sora!"

"I can still _fight_ , though!" he argued. Kairi was looking the other way by this point, a hand going up to cover her mouth. "That's the only thing—"

"Sora, you're no good to _anyone_ out there having hallucinations and getting _scared_!" Axel exploded.

At the snap, Sora's eyes grew about two sizes. He might as well have been slapped clear across the face, for all it was worth. His mouth went immediately dry, and it hung open halfway, as if he was grasping for something to say that could possibly make a difference. But he couldn't— the comment was harsh and sudden and it rendered him mute. Even the others, though each one agreed on the statement, seemed unsure and hesitant in the blunt way that it had been delivered. Yuffie's eyes narrowed just slightly, in a draw between discomfort and sympathy. Leon shifted and looked at Sora in silence, the only difference being that his eyebrows drew together just a tiny bit.

Everyone seemed pained by not only the words but also Sora's reaction to them. However, not a single person took a step forward to try and be on his side. Rather, it was understood that this was a bitter pill everyone would have to swallow.

Including Sora.

Axel had been the one to create this silence, but he was first person unable to stand its duration. It was pressing down on the room and squashing everyone underneath its heavy weight— it was even hard to breathe. That's what he told himself was the problem, anyway. The real issue was more along the lines of the way that Sora was staring at him. He simply couldn't stand looking back at the familiar blue eyes, when they were so raw and hurt with shock and betrayal. It made his skin crawl, and he quickly took in a breath before going on. "I'm sorry." The two words were a little clipped, making the sincerity harder to pick up on. "I really am, Sora, I—"

"It's fine," Sora replied, barely able to be heard. His stare rested coldly on Axel for just a moment more before he turned and began to separate away from everyone else. That was what this was, wasn't it? They'd brought him back here just to make sure that he could not stay with them? This was what they wanted. And if nobody was going to listen to him, then he was just going to give them what they wanted. "Go, then. I'll just stay here."

There was silence only for a few brief moments, though it felt more like years. Axel stared at Sora in subtle despair, his gaze heavy with remorse and guilt. He was torn between turning away from him, and doubling back to try and change his mind— to salvage whatever they had. Surely that was more important? But, almost thankfully, Leon interrupted before he could. "We should get going, then."

By this point, the entire group was on-edge, and visibly upset. A couple were exchanging glances, questioning, and obviously wondering the same thing that Axel was. At the obvious call to action, they grew all the more dubious and confused. Donald and Goofy looked to Sora, who was pointedly looking in the only direction that his friends were not standing. He was focusing on not blinking, far too overwhelmed at the moment to focus on anything but making sure he did not break down.

Riku began to turn to Leon. "Right. We should…handling the little guys should lead us to the big one."

Leon looked over at Kairi, who was still studying Sora. Feeling the stare burn through her, she turned, and the redhead immediately began to draw back. Warily, she shook her head. "I…I think I'll stay behind. I would rather stay behind, I mean." She glanced at Aerith, who seemed more than a little hesitant at the prospect of switching places. She'd always been the one to stay back, because she was the most experienced healer out of all of them, and if anything went wrong with Sora, she would have to be on call. Now, Sora was healthy and fine, and yet he still couldn't go. He still needed to stay back. The change was almost confusing.

Aerith seemed skeptical with her own abilities. "I— I don't think— I mean…I'm not…"

It would have been far too embarrassing for Aerith to openly state the fact that everyone already knew: that out of everyone, she was the weakest fighter. Her talents stayed in the field of healing, and while that could possibly come in handy out there, it was nothing compared to what they would be able to accomplish with Kairi. Even if she hadn't had any formal training yet, and still had the same ratio of landing hits and stumbling over herself. Yuffie grimaced and tried to step in for her friend before she was forced to confront the shortcoming. "Kairi, we need you." Kairi turned at this, and her eyes flashed. She looked at the ninja sharply, in an effort to get her to stop there. Yuffie didn't grasp the meaning, however. "We need your keyblade against the Heartless."

Kairi winced, and even more guilt rushed forward to color her expression. She was turning back to Sora, but the effort was pointless. The other was already turning and parting ways with the rest of them, straying back towards the door that led to the added upstairs. She welled over with sorrow at the obvious rejection, and immediately tried to follow him. "Sora, wait," she tried weakly. At the very forefront of her mind was what had just happened outside— of Sora's panicked voice, and how he had pointed at nothing but empty air, shouting about seeing someone in an Organization cloak. A mix of pain and fear clenched at her chest, but she tried her best not to let it leak into her voice. But she wasn't all that great at hiding. "Wait," she repeated. Casting a glance back at the rest, she tried: "I want to stay here. I want to be with—"

"It's fine, Kairi." Sora's words were noticeably duller, and flatter. Kairi stopped short, sorrowful as she just stared at him dismally. But he didn't quite meet her gaze. "They're right. They need a keyblade. And you have one. So just go. You don't have to stay here, you're not _needed_ here."

The last four words nearly snatched her breath away. At her sides, her hands clenched into tight fists, and she found herself biting down hard on the inside of her cheek. If Sora registered the pain, he did a masterful job of hiding it. He just shook his head and pushed his stance further. "Kairi, go," he repeated. "Help them. Just because I'm not able to—"

"That's not the point, Sora," she snapped. She forced sharpness into her voice, despite the inward desire to simply hug him when she knew he was hurting. It wasn't like he didn't have the right. But it also wasn't like she didn't know her friend. He was stubborn, and he was stubborn to a fault. Sometimes it took tough love, it took shoving, and she was trying to do just that. She'd do anything at all, if he would just go back to the way he was before. "That's not the point and you know it. I don't want to go out there if you're not there. I don't want you thinking that anyone could ever even begin to repl—"

"I'm back." The two words were all but growled out. Enough so, that Kairi shut her mouth and took the hint to be silent for the moment. If she interrupted, it would just be worse. "You guys got me back here, and now you have just a little bit more information on what's going on, so isn't this what you wanted?" His eyes searched her own, a façade of anger existing only to cover up the rejection and pain that was underneath. Kairi had no façade, however, and she just looked at him in a sort of mourning. He opted to ignore it as he just shook his head. "You got what you wanted. I'm staying here. So just— just…just don't lose track of what the most important thing is."

Kairi kept her stare level, but her voice was noticeably softer when she replied. " _You're_ the most important thing. To me."

If the silences before were anything to cause discomfort, they were nothing compared to this one. Sora didn't even bat an eye at the words, and his expression remained completely the same. But Kairi's hands curled even tighter as she realized that his eyes welling over and shining with tears. What were they from? Happiness? Relief? Sadness? Frustration? Anger? Her face fell and she realized it might not have been the best time. She took a small step forward and made a move as if to reach out towards him, trying to build some sort of apology on her tongue. "Sora…I'm just trying to—"

It was enough. For now, it was more than enough, and Riku leaned over to put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. He pulled her back gently, relieved that she wasn't about to fight him, though her stare still trained itself on her friend. "Kairi, c'mon." It wasn't even that they were wasting time here— that line of thought wasn't anywhere inside his head. He just knew that too many things had happened in such a short amount of time. They couldn't have this conversation right now, even though he knew how long she had been waiting to have it. She couldn't put this on Sora as well, and she certainly couldn't do it in front of everyone else. Not right now.

They would come back later, and Sora would be adjusted again. He was sure of it. So he just shook his head and drew her back more. "It's fine." The words were aimed just as much at Kairi as they were at Sora, and he glanced over at him to accentuate the point. But he wasn't looking at him. He wasn't sure how much it mattered. "It'll all be fine. We'll be back. But…they do need us."

Kairi remained silent for a heartbeat, simply looking at Sora. Just when he was beginning to think that she would refuse, she took in a slow breath and ducked her head. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." She turned quickly, without another glance in his direction, and she made for the door. Yuffie glanced between the two, torn on what she should do as Sora only stared after her with that same empty stare. Aerith caught her eye and nodded her head once. And with the silent promise that she would take the other half, Yuffie turned and followed Kairi out.

Cid took after them, ever the one to try and avoid drama. Lately, it seemed to be all that was at the house. Leon paused long enough to try and offer Sora a smile. The open encouragement seemed out of place on his face. "Maybe you can come with us in a couple days," he tried, and Sora once again fought the urge to blink and risk dislodging any water. When he didn't offer much of a reply, Leon tried again. "You'll be back in no time, Sora. And you'll show up everyone who thought you couldn't do it. Look how far you've come already."

He nodded once. "Yeah." It was barely anything. "Yeah. Of course."

Leon looked at him silently for just a moment more before he turned as well. He grabbed hold of Donald and Goofy, who looked like they wanted to hang back and say something as well. Thankfully they took the hint that it would possibly do more harm than good, and they fell into step behind. Riku reached over and he put a hand on Sora's shoulder, just like he'd done with Kairi. And he leaned down a bit so he could meet Sora's gaze, even if Sora's didn't technically want to. "I'm glad you're back," he offered a little softly. "And I'm really glad that you're safe."

Sora did blink now, and he instantly regretted it as he felt a stinging warmth trace down one side of his face. Immediately, he turned to the other side, in the hopes that Riku wouldn't notice. Though just in case, he didn't dare turn back and look at him to see. "I'm glad to be back too," he offered softly, the natural reply to give. So he gave it. And again, he didn't turn to Riku to see the expression that would be there because of it. He did feel the pressure leave his shoulder though, and when he turned back, he was heading out the door.

The only person to remain was Axel, who hadn't moved this entire time. He was looking at Sora almost blankly, as if he wasn't sure what sort of look should be on his face. They met each other's stare, and neither of them said anything. Suddenly, there seemed to be far too big a gap between them, when before, there was nothing. After only a few seconds, Axel seemed to give up. He followed the rest of them out, and before too long at all, it was only Sora and Aerith standing in the room. The silence that cropped up now was an empty kind of silence. One that was hollow, and alone, and Sora found himself looking down at the ground. As if it had any answers there.

Aerith allowed the silence to continue for some time, giving him whatever amount he needed. After the pause, she spoke softly through it. "Sora…would you like to talk about it?" To talk about anything, really. Because there was far too much to pick from, in the grand scheme of it all. Going back to the very beginning of it, it was almost _too_ much. There was so much bottled up, and held back— she could see it in the shadows across his face, and the exhaustion in his eyes. Things that were not there before, and yet seemed to hold permanent residence now.

He glanced over her way, and for a split second she lightened, under the impression he would actually relent. But her hopes were dashed as he only looked back at the floor. Struggling to be subtle about it, he wiped at his face and shook his head, as if to clear it away from oppressive thoughts. "No," he murmured, clearing his throat when the word came out choked. He looked at her again, and her heart pained as he offered her a wide smile. Fake, and forced. And with it, came the definitive air and feeling of giving up. "You know me: I'm fine. I'm always fine."

She clasped her hands tightly in front of her, and her green eyes were soft with sympathy. "It's okay not to be, Sora," she pointed out. "It's more than understandable for you to be upset. To want to talk." Her voice grew even softer. "It's okay to not be fine, Sora."

The silence was ear-splitting. It was choking, and merciless. Sora's lips wavered just slightly, where they were still forced into that curve of a grin. Fleetingly, so much so that she almost thought she imagined it, his eyes flashed over with heartbreaking sorrow and frustration— more than she had ever seen someone struggle with in her lifetime. But it was so fleeting, and it was so fast, and when Sora spoke again, she almost was inclined to believe that it was nothing but her imagination. Almost.

"I'm fine," he repeated.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Maybe we're making a mistake." The words were soft, and hardly there. It was hard to be anything else, in such a situation as this one. Kairi stared dully at the ground as she walked along, a hand trailing dully over the rocks of the ravine wall beside her. Ever since they'd left the house, she'd been silent. This was the most she had said the entire time they'd been out. In the time that they'd come from Merlin's house, to where they were now in the ravine, they'd encountered six ambushes of Heartless, each group more vicious than the last and harder to handle.

Axel, Kairi, and Goofy had been told to go this way and handle whatever cropped up; so far, they'd done just that. The others had gone the other way into town, to make sure that the town was alright and nobody was hurt there. Going by the strength of these things, it wasn't looking all that hopeful for them down there. If they had their work cut out for them up here, there was no telling how it was holding up with the townsfolk. Fingers crossed, Axel supposed. That was the best they could do, at this point.

But at her words, and the sound of defeat and sorrow that was in her voice, he turned and looked back at her, finding it impossible not to. She looked just a disheartened, turned and watching glumly as they plodded on. "What do you mean?" he asked, though the question was merely an invitation for her to continue with what everyone here was clear on already. The words were dragged out, and heavy with exhaustion. He was still spent from the magical attack he'd poured out back at Halloweentown. Putting one foot in front of the other was taking more effort than usual, and when it came to fighting, it was getting more and more like his arms were loads of bricks. He wouldn't last much longer, he knew. At the moment, he was just trying to keep his head above water enough to finish the clearing out the gully.

Kairi looked over at him, almost looking like she was surprised that he'd heard. There was the smallest of pauses, before she cleared her throat and shook her head. "I don't think we're doing any of this right. I think we're going in horrible circles, and we're making Sora feel so alone…" Goofy frowned, clearly more focused on her than watching out for incoming attacks, at this point. Axel's gaze was heavy as he took up the duty himself, though it was more than difficult at this point. "Sora's given everything for us. In every situation, without fail, he's put his all into making sure that we're okay. Because he cares for us that much. He would never even think of doing anything different." Her eyes were beginning to burn and well with water. Her voice was more choked when she continued. "And here, we can only shove him aside and tell him we'll deal with him later. We're being awful."

"There's no other option, Kairi." Axel's own distress cumulated into a harsher snap than he'd really intended. Immediately he closed his eyes and took in a slow breath, attempting to quell the rising nerves before they could get any more out of hand. "It's just so much right now…we can't handle everything with as much as care as it needs; we'd get nowhere if we did." He sighed. "I know that Sora deserves more. For way too many reasons to list. And he's probably angry right now, and he deserves to be. But he _also_ deserves to get better, and that's all we're trying to do. As much as we _can_ with everything that's going on."

"He needs us to get better," Kairi replied, the words tart. "We're not helping him. We're putting him off. Like a chore we don't have the energy to do."

"Sora _isn't_ a chore," Axel snapped, looking back at her again. His eyes flashed. ""That's not the point, that's—"

"But that's what it seems like," she interrupted. "And that's how he feels. We're making him feel that way— _we_ are. His _friends_." She glared at nothing in particular, and reached up to wipe at her eyes. She shook her head again, like she was stuck. Hers steps slowed just a little bit, and she glanced back over her shoulder, her expression downcast. "I want to go back." She stopped in her tracks, and Axel was forced to as well, once he realized she wasn't following. Goofy, stuck between the two of them, did the same. Ignoring the look that Axel was giving her, Kairi set her jaw backwards, and he looked at him, very measured, as she repeated: "I want to go back."

Axel closed his eyes, and reached up to wipe at his forehead. He was so tired. He was _so_ tired. "Kairi, you can't." All the life was out of his voice, now. He was just exhausted, and strung-out, and everything that he was trying not to be at the moment. "Don't you think I don't think the same thing? That I don't want to go back to Sora and tell him how sorry I am that _I'm_ the person who dragged him back there? He didn't want to come back! Not to you, not to anyone!" Kairi closed one eye in a wince. "I want to go back just as much as you do. I hate seeing him upset just as much as you do. But we have to do this _first_. If we finish this, we can go back to him, okay? But you can't go ahead. We need your keyblade."

"I'm not even good with this stupid thing!" she huffed, in a bout of frustration. She turned and glared down at the weapon she was holding in her hand. Something close to hatred was there in the very back of her stare. "Riku wanted me to replace Sora with this. And don't tell me that wasn't what he wanted!" she added, seeing him begin to open his mouth and do just that. "I was supposed to take over the keyblade until Sora could, and that's not what I want to do. I don't want to replace Sora, I want to _help_ him. And I know I can. I'm positive. I wasn't there with him before, if he comes with us, then he'll get better, I'll help him be better. Axel. Please. We don't have to tell the others. Just please let's go back to the house and get him. Four people are better than three!"

"Kairi…" Axel basically exhaled the name, too exhausted to do anything else. His ears were ringing, he was so tired. All he wanted to do was just sleep. He would gladly do it right here, in fact, if he was given the option. Feeling like his body weighed nearly a million pounds, he tried to shake his head to clear it, so that he could kick things into gear and finish this all. Kairi turned and looked at him blandly, and he could literally feel the difficulty that they were going to have. So he caved. Because he was tired, and recently, caving was all he could manage to get done. "Twenty minutes," he said instead. She sobered just a bit at the time, but only a little bit. He went on, going slow for her. "Twenty more minutes out here— not a second over. Including the time it takes to get back. And we can be done. We don't have to finish the entire trek."

She was silent, mentally going over the prospect of such a deal. She didn't seem all that eager, and he was preparing himself to, once again, resist the temptation to pull out his hair. Goofy, a nervous audience to this entire ordeal, was looking between one and the other, torn on what he should do or what side he should take. Wisely, he was staying mute.

Kairi was just as much so for a long moment, as she weighed her options. Eventually, her eyes narrowed, and she turned to look at the rest of the gully still in front of them. Her voice was resolute when she chose to use it again. "Twenty minutes." Axel could have collapsed to the ground, he was so relieved at the give-in. " _Including_ the time it takes to get back."

"That's what I just said," he agreed, thanking his lucky stars that in the time she was taking to be difficult, no Heartless had sprung out of nowhere. But then again, he might have been able to get some of his frustration out at the moment, if he was allowed to kill something. Killing the source of his trouble at the moment would be rather frowned upon, and it was always good to have an outlet. "There and back. Just wait twenty more minutes. And I'm sure that Sora is going to do the same, so can we just _go_?" He shook his head to clear it again; his ears wouldn't stop ringing with exhaustion.

Kairi pursed her lips, and she didn't seem all that enthused at Axel's attitude. But she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and she knew that she would be too guilty if she turned and left the two of them out here on their own. So she resigned herself and nodded. "Yeah. Sure." She frowned and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand, blue eyes skimming over all the terrain that they still hadn't covered. "Then let's get going."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Fifteen minutes later, and they were coming back. Dealing with Heartless on the way, they weren't as close as they probably would have liked to be— or how close Axel had promised that they would be. Kairi was slicing through the last of the latest wave, huffing a little unevenly for air. She was sporting a particularly nasty gash on her arm that was bleeding pretty badly, but when she'd gotten it, she'd refused Goofy's offer of a potion. They hadn't had a lot to begin with, and who knows what they could run into on the way along. Or at least that was the excuse she gave, and Axel allowed it to go by simply because he knew she was stubborn enough not to listen to reason in particular situations.

Axel was on fumes— he'd been on fumes for at least the past ten minutes, in fact. Moving his arms or his legs was the equivalent of moving two hundred pounds. His muscles were aching and burning with exhaustion, and the more time ticked by, the less effective his fire became. It was to be expected, of course. After going to such a last resort before, and then not taking a break to recharge afterwards, he was lucky he was still moving at all. At the moment, all he could get out were shuffles or staggers. Mostly the first managed the work for him in terms of getting his enemies. He couldn't very well lunge for them in his state.

As Kairi dealt with the last remaining Heartless, Goofy lingering behind her to act as a back-up should she need one, Axel took the moment to hunch over, and try to get some oxygen back into his lungs. Bending over with his hands on his knees, he tried to recollect himself so that he could somehow drag himself the rest of the way back to Merlin's. They weren't too far— nearly back at the Bailey. But still. Distance became subjective when you could hardly hear anything clearly.

His ears were still ringing. After all this time, they still hadn't stopped. In fact, standing there as the others dealt with what was left, the ringing just seemed to get worse. Axel grimaced, attempting to shake off the irritation for the third time. It was fruitless, though. He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair, starting to straighten and hopefully just put mind over matter. Once he'd get back to the house, he would be fine. He would just need a while to get his wind back.

When it seemed as through Kairi wasn't going to be able to deal with the enemy swift enough, Axel started to brace himself to go forward and help. But the moment he began to do just that, he did a double-take, movement out of the corner of his eye stopping him in his tracks before he could even begin to start ahead. He turned, expecting another round of Heartless and already scrounging together the anger he would have to use to fight them. Because he certainly didn't have anything like energy to do so. But when he turned to look after what had wrenched his attention away, he found that it wasn't a Heartless at all. It was the farthest thing from, and as his eyes locked on the target, he stiffened like a board, and a chill shook him from head to toe.

It was _her_.

Exactly like he'd seen her in Halloweentown.

It was Xion.

Her blue eyes were bright with mischief and happiness as they locked with his own, and she might have been laughing— he couldn't really tell. She was standing a ways back from where they came from, her hands clasped behind her back and her weight rolling back and forth from her heels to her toes. The moment that Axel turned to look at her, Xion's smile split wider, and she turned quickly, taking off and rushing down the path that led them farther away from Merlin's house. Immediately, Axel tensed even more, and he tried to call out to her and get her to stop. "Xion!" he cried. "Xion, wait! Come back!"

How was she here? But she _was_ here! Just like she had been in the other world. He'd _known_ that Sora had just messed up— he'd sent him after her, hadn't he? He turned back, looking to Kairi and Goofy, who were still dealing with the last pesky enemy. Kairi had stopped at his call, and as he twisted back, he found that his eyes were locking with another set of blue ones. Though these were colored with confusion, not happiness. "What!?" she called back, the singular word ragged and breathless. "Axel, what are you—?"

"I'll be right back!" the reply blustered out. Kairi's forehead only creased, and her expression began to sharpen over with an indignant light as she realized that Axel was planning on leaving. Predictably, she started to open her mouth to argue, but Axel didn't have the time. Xion was already rushing away— why? What if she needed him? He had no idea how she was back, but she was, and he wasn't planning on missing her a second time over. Not if he had anything to say about it. So before Kairi could make a stance against anything, he turned and he ran, finding the energy to do so out of the simple desire to catch up before it was too late.

Kairi might have called after him, or tried to follow him, he didn't know. All he knew was the direction Xion fled, and he raced after as best he could. Every so often he would see her a ways ahead, the end of her cloak turning a corner and disappearing. It at least kept him on the right track and not delving into the wrong direction. He rushed after her, not paying so much mind to pursuit as he was just the end goal of it He wasn't thinking about anything else at all, really. Sora could wait— as it was, Axel knew he wouldn't want to see him anyway. He was still angry at him, for bringing him back.

In no time, he rounded a corner and skidded to a stop, nearly falling over himself in the process. Xion was standing in the middle of the outcrop, as if she'd been lingering there for ages, rather than just having got there. Her back was to Axel, and when he fumbled to a stop, she didn't turn around to look at him. Gasping for air and stinging with exhaustion, Axel bent over just a bit at the waist, his hands going to his knees to help prop himself up. He tried to take in a better breath, but his voice still came out breathless when he spoke. "Xion!" he called. Still, she didn't turn. He called again: "Xion! What are you doing here!?"

She was motionless, like a statue. Axel's voice may have gone in one ear and out the other, for all she reacted. His forehead creased, and he started to push himself back up and walk again, despite how hollow and achy his legs were by this point. But as soon as he began to recover and move ahead again, his friend moved. It wasn't to turn around, and it wasn't even to glance over her shoulder at him. Rather, Axel watched with shock as her knees bent inwards, and she crumpled to the ground.

Blood marked its way thick down her cloak, difficult to see against the black fabric. She hit the ground with a thud and stayed motionless the moment she collided. She didn't even twitch in pain. Horror flooded through him, but before he could rush down to her side, or even scream, his attention was wrenched to the person that had been standing in front of her. And as soon as his eyes met theirs, all the feeling seemed to rush out of him altogether. He went slack and frozen in shock, and for a heartbeat he was convinced he would fall to the ground just like Xion had, things were spinning so much.

Roxas stared at him, his expression completely blank. Gripped tightly in his hand, his keyblade was smeared almost black with blood. He looked like he was staring right at Axel, but he wasn't seeing him at all. For what felt like ten years, Axel was silent, simply struggling to figure out how to breathe correctly. When he did manage to drag in enough oxygen, he forced something out. "Roxas…?" He shook his head, the motion barely a twitch. "You're…how are you…what's…?" There were far too many questions to voice, and too many pressing ones to pick which to focus on first. Eventually his eyes dragged back down to the ground, where Xion was bleeding out. Feeling numb, he staggered forward, formulating some absent plan to help. "What's going on…?"

"I killed her." The words were so cold and empty that Axel had to suppress a shiver. His green eyes flickered back up to Roxas, though he kept stumbling for his other friend. Roxas didn't move. He just kept looking at him with that dead-eye stare. "I killed her. Axel," he repeated in a rasp. He began to advance and edge forward, in shuffling steps. "I had to. I _had_ to kill her, I had no other choice."

Axel's knees gave out, and he fell down beside Xion. Fighting now to keep his breath even, he reached over to turn her back around. She looked like she was sleeping— her eyes closed and an expression of peace over her features. But she was covered in blood, and the sticky liquid leaked onto him and began to stain him fast. He turned, pressing his hand down against the gaping gash in her stomach— the culprit of a large majority of the blood. "N-No…" he said, only reaching a whisper. "No, no, it'll— you didn't kill her, it'll be fine…" His voice sounded tinny, and far too high. Distress was making its way quickly over him, but he was trying to keep his head above water. "It'll be fine, you're going to be fine, we're all fine, we're all fine, don't…"

Roxas stopped a few inches away. He stared down at him. "I had to kill her," he mumbled. "She left me no choice. I had no other choice."

Axel grimaced. His thoughts were everywhere— so much so, that they were nowhere at all. He ducked forward briefly, pressing his forehead down against Xion's while he struggled to stop this blood. He had to stop this blood…all of this…it was everywhere! Frustration burned like fire under his skin, and his eyes were quickly following suit as his vision smeared and blurred. "No!" The cry was desperate when he looked back up, and he met Roxas' apathetic look with one of confusion and raw grief. "This isn't happening! Help me help her! Help me! _Please_! Please help her, we can't lose her again! _I_ can't lose her again! I can't lose her, I can't! Not again! I can't lose either of you!"

Roxas didn't even bat an eye. "She didn't leave me a choice," he hissed. Axel's face paled and his expression dropped when he began to raise his bloodied weapon. He took another step forward, and Axel froze as he realized that he was drawing his keyblade to strike. Roxas shook his head once, just the smallest hint of regret inching through the blankness. "You're not leaving me a choice, either…" he muttered. "None of you are…you're all forcing me…"

"No…no, Roxas, stop!" Axel shouted, too overwhelmed to do anything but hold Xion closer to him, as if he could possibly save her. He ached to see those heartbroken blue eyes; it made him feel sick. "Roxas, you don't have to do anything…you never have to do anything! You're my friend— you're her friend too, you need to stop! You don't have to—!"

"Axel?"

He hardly heard the voice, it was so small and hesitant. He didn't turn to look back; he didn't need to, he recognized the voice. Kairi was staying a ways beind him, staring at him with a certain degree of horrified confusion. Though he refused to turn, he did immediately take to begging for her assistance. "Kairi! Kairi, help me! You have a potion, don't you?" He was fresh out— he'd used his last one after Kairi had gotten a rather nasty gash splitting her arm by a Shadow. But she had more, right? If she did, then maybe it wasn't too late; maybe he could still save Xion. He could save Xion, and he could calm Roxas down, he could— but how was Roxas— if Roxas was here, then where was—?

"Help who?" Kairi murmured, too shocked to speak above a whisper.

The question nearly smacked him clear across the face. "X-Xion!" he cried, just barely stuttering out her name. The word cracked nearly down the middle in its desperation. Kairi's mouth hung halfway open as she just stared at him. Frustration and impatience choked tightly around his throat as he realized that Xion's face was now a sickening gray. When he spoke again, his voice was clenched higher, and quickly becoming worn with panic. "Kairi, you've got to _help me_!" She staggered backwards in shock at the sudden cry. "She's going to die!"

Kairi stared at him in confused horror. She looked from him to his arms, apparently not able to make the connection whatsoever. "I-I-" The smallest sense of understanding sparked in the back of her gaze, and her head tilted to the side, just the smallest bit. "Axel, wait— do you— what are you—?"

He wasn't listening to her; he was far from listening to anything by this point. Kairi's mouth snapped shut, and she flinched backwards as he continued to cry out— to try and demand her help in any way possible. "Give me a potion! Give _her_ a potion! Give her _anything_! She's going to _die_!" But Kairi's bemused and horrified look did not waver. Because he wasn't holding _anyone_ in his arms at all. They were poised up to curl around something invisible; there wasn't anyone hurt, there wasn't anyone even in the clearing with them.

They were completely alone, and Axel was panicking down at absolutely…nothing.

She started to stiffen, her eyes flashing as a slow sense of understanding began to stutter over her features. Her arm twitched at her side and she leaned forward, starting to reach out as if to touch his shoulder. Like someone might do if they were trying to wake someone up from a bad dream. Because she was fairly certain that that _was_ the issue. That somehow, for some reason, maybe there was—

"Kairi…?"

She blinked, and she immediately snapped upright at the sound of her name. An icy shock rushed through her as she instantly recognized the voice; she wouldn't mistake it anywhere. And at the tone that voice was using, at its sorrowful deflation and the pained tighten around its middle, all constructing thoughts were wiped clean from her mind. Her attention dropped from Axel, and instead she whirled around, her eyes already wide and frightened even before they clashed with the source. It took less than a second of eye contact for a shriek of anguish to wrench out of her throat.

Sora was holding to the wall of the gully, his feet dragging lifelessly forward in the attempt to walk closer to her. His other arm was wrapped tightly around his stomach, and his hand was pressed tight to his side. She was shocked to see that from the spot he was clenching tightly to, blood was gushing. Almost black it was so dark, it was dying his clothes and his skin, and the moment she met his pain-filled gaze, his eyes rolled back into his head and his knees gave way. Again, that shriek ripped itself forward, and Kairi tore away from Axel, sprinting instead back to her friend.

" _Sora!_ " she screeched, panic and terror making her heart race and her blood boil. She skidded to a stop and more or less collapsed to his side. She turned him over, her own breathing turning erratic when she realized that his chest wasn't stirring with breath at all. She shook her head so fast her head spun, and she leaned over in the attempt to staunch the blood herself. Though the sight of her hands getting coated in the liquid wasn't at all anything to settle her head back on her shoulders. " _Sora! No!_ " Each word from her mouth was in the form of a bloodcurdling scream.

All thought was out the window. She was losing him again. She was losing her friend again. Her friend. Her—

" _Sora_!" she cried. " _Sora please!_ " Kairi jerked down, and pressed her blood-soaked hands to either side of his face. She leaned forward to press their foreheads together, and terrified sobs wracked her body as she realized that she couldn't stop the obscene amount of blood loss. Where had it _come_ from!? What had _happened_!? Why had he been all the way out here!? Had he been looking for her!? The thoughts were senseless and muddled and far too scared for her to stop and try and make sense of. There was no sense— not with this. It just made her panic worse, made her sob harder, made her scrabble more at his injury, in the blind attempt to stop what she couldn't even understand.

"…ri?"

" _Sora!_ " She continued to rush and scream— rambling senselessly, repeating his name, unable to stop whatsoever. She fumbled and moved her hands away from his face, wrapping her arms around him instead so that she could duck down and pull him close. He was dead to her touch; his face was ashen and his head lolled backwards as he was moved. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes raw and red and her breathing in harsh hiccups. And she continued to scream, despite the fact that the other voice was slowly coming more into focus.

"Kairi…Kairi!"

" _Bring him back!_ " she wailed. She couldn't even think about anything. Anything but Sora's dulled expression, his listless body, his unmoving chest. It was too much, it was too much, it was— " _Bring him back bring him back bring him back bring him—!_ "

"Kairi!" Her rambling ended in a yelp as suddenly, square in her line of vision, Goofy's face planted itself half an inch away from hers. His voice was raised to a yell, and it was enough to make her skitter backwards in the attempt to try and right the distance between them. Her face looked almost as shocked as his did concerned. He looked at her like she had just grown a second head, and for a second, she was almost too confused to do anything but stare at him dumbly.

But then her sense caught up to her, and she gasped sharply, rushing over and shoving him aside. Unprepared, he was knocked clear to the side, and Kairi made quick work to try and get back to Sora. But she stopped mid-stretch, freezing up as her face fell. Her shoulders sagged and, her breathing ragged and hiccupping, she looked down at…nothing. Where Sora had been was just empty air. A vacant spot on the ground, and nothing more.

Quickly, she whirled around, too dizzy and reeling to try and get back up to her feet. "I— I—"

Her gaze scraped by Axel as she searched the small clearing. He was sitting on the ground as well, though he was completely still. His expression was dull and empty as he stared ahead. It looked like he was staring through the walls of the canyon rather than straight at them. Though once she turned and began to lose control of her nerves, he roused enough to look at her. The look on his face looked just as confused as she felt. A ghost of pain was slowly beginning to overtake the initial bemusement, though. Once she met his eyes, she stilled and fell silent. Her eyebrows pulled together, and her mouth hung halfway open. She didn't say anything for a moment, and neither did he. The silence was deafening.

Goofy started back for her, a little cautiously after her shove. But his touch was gentle when his hand went down to her shoulder. "Kairi, are you okay…?" he murmured, looking far too worried to make sense of. When she didn't reply, she only turned and looked over her shoulder at the spot where moments ago Sora had collapsed, he asked again: "Are you alright, Kairi? Do you need help? What do I…?" He meant well, and that much was clear. When she looked back front, Axel was slowly drawing his knees to his chest. She heard him curse thickly under his breath as he reached up and drew his hands through his hair.

Like nothing more than a ghost of what her voice usually was, a whisper wavered out of her throat and into the air. "Where's Sora?" she rasped. By this point, there was nothing on her face but apathy. The pain would come later, probably, when she had nothing else to recall in the moment but the sight of her closest friend's face slack and unresponsive. But mostly, the thought would come later. It was creeping slowly over her face already; all it had to do was break through the layer of shock. Goofy didn't reply at first— he was likely too befuddled to. So she pressed her words again, just the smallest bit harder this time. "Where is Sora?" The words were slow and purposeful.

Goofy glanced around, as if to ask for help from _someone_. Some _thing_ , even, given that his only option was Axel, who was currently staring down at the ground. "He's…well, he's back at Merlin's, isn't he?" he asked, not sure himself, given the look on her face. "That's…there's where he left him. We haven't— seen him since then….?" It wasn't able to come out as anything other than a question.

Kairi fell silent, turning back again to look at the spot on the ground. That had been dyed dark by Sora's blood before, just like her hands had been, but was now spotless. And she looked down dully at her hands, to find the same thing to be true there as well. There wasn't even the smallest of a red smear on them. All that was there were lingering tremors of fright. She said nothing and stayed silent, but she didn't look up either. Her forehead just creased, and her lips pressed together tightly. Her shoulders curled forward, and her eyes began to narrow. The thought was now growing stronger, and creeping more over her face. And she only grew more withdrawn the more Goofy tried to press her.

"Kairi…? You okay…? Kairi?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

When it all finally caught up to her, she had ran the entire way back to Merlin's house. She'd ignored the fact that Goofy tried to call after her— tried to warn her not to get separated for fear of another Heartless ambushed. She'd ignored the fact that Axel was still stone-faced and statue-esque, staring straight ahead like he was zombie and nothing more. And when she had sprinted back the way she'd come, she had ignored all the Heartless that merged in front of her, as if they were purposefully trying to prevent her from reaching him. She did so without a trace of guilt over the fact that Goofy and Axel were likely to be stuck with the horde as she left them all behind; she would feel that later, just like she would most other things. At the moment, she felt guilt of a different kind. And it was the driving force behind her legs.

Kairi through the door of Merlin's house, and nearly stumbled over herself in the process. From the corner of the room, near the bookshelf, came a cry of surprise and fear at the sudden entrance. She turned immediately, and it was no secret that her face fell when she realized it was just Aerith. The girl had dropped the books she'd been holding, apparently attempting to organize the spell books that had, before, been strewn around the place like a tornado blew in. She went red when she saw it was just Kairi, though her voice held just the smallest bit of reproach when she spoke up. "Kairi! You scared me! Why are you…?" Her expression flickered over with unease. "You— did something happen? Is something wrong? The others…?"

"They're fine," she managed, the two words nothing but tired puffs of air. "They're all fine, I— where's Sora?"

Aerith frowned, obviously skeptical. "He's…he's upstairs, he didn't want…he said he just wanted to sleep, he didn't want to stay down here." There was a small shadow of hurt in the words and in her eyes, but it was quickly abandoned. Instead, characteristic concern welled forward. Maybe because at times it was easier to be worried over someone else than yourself. "Kairi, are you alright?" She was already nodding her head before the question could finish itself. And she was already making for the door that would take her to the upper landing. Aerith started to trail towards her, though, as if she was wanting to stop her. "You look pale— maybe you should sit down for a second, I don't want you to—"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she rushed. Realizing a little too late that her words might be taken too harshly, she turned and offered her friend a small smile. She didn't feel like it was much, but it stopped Aerith's worried following, to which she was grateful. So she took in a quick breath and made sure her voice was light and upbeat when she offered: "Really. I'm just fine." She had to clear her throat just a bit to make sure. But she offered a lighthearted shrug. "Axel and Goofy are right behind me. They're dealing with the last little bit of the Heartless. I just…I just wanted to get back to Sora. It didn't feel right…leaving him the way I did. You know…?" There: that wasn't a lie at all.

And it was more than the correct answer to give. Aerith's eyes softened over with sympathy, and she quickly gave a small nod. "Of course. I'll leave you two alone, then." Any other situation at all, and Kairi probably would have blushed bright red with embarrassment. But right now there was a more pressing matter on her hand, so she just nodded. She paused a moment, to make absolutely sure that Aerith really was turning back to her efforts of organization. Which was a losing battle with a house like this one. But once she _was_ sure, she turned and went for the stairs again.

She paced herself this time, and didn't run like she had half a mind to do. But when she shut the door behind her and made up the steps, she took them two at a time, and she was not a stranger to the fact that her heart was beginning to pick up all over again. She came up to the landing, and she immediately began to search the room for Sora. There wasn't much there; Sora had been moved downstairs after it was made clear that the trip to the next level of the home was too much for him upon waking. There was still another bed in the corner, thanks to Merlin's attempts to 'just be safe.' There was a chair close beside it, and there was a table in the corner. As well as a bookshelf for the socerer's never-ending library, and a dresser that was loaded with spare medical supplies. The bareness was a little depressing. The isolation surely didn't help.

The room was dark now— the curtains had been drawn tight to shut out any light that could breach the dark. And sure enough, as Kairi turned and came closer, she realized that there wasn't a telltale shape underneath the blankets that would show Sora was actually doing what he'd said, and taking a nap. Instead, the huddled shape was against the wall. Sora was wedged back into the corner, his legs drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs to keep them there. His side was to her, and even when she started over to him, he didn't notice her coming. His stare was trained on the wall opposite him, and her face began to fall as she realized that his mouth was moving quickly.

Her steps were slow and dragging with hesitation, though all she wanted to was run to him as fast as she had run back to the house. She got closer, and the pieces began to fall down and snap together. His stare was unwavering as it trained on that specific part of the room. A quick glance – a fervent glance, for she was too anxious to stop and chance a longer one – showed that there was absolutely nothing there. It was empty space; he wasn't even looking at one of Yuffie's paintings. There was nothing there.

She came closer, and began to crouch down more as she walked, to gradually get down to his level. He was shaking. His eyes were wide and they were raw with a kind of horror that she had never seen before, and it stabbed directly through her heart to have to see it on his face. He looked stiff, like he was poised to turn and run but was too paralyzed to get anywhere or even budge. And only when she was close enough to lean all the way down and kneel beside him could she begin to make sense of his barely-there whispers. The words were rushed, and some were too much so to understand. Some were too quiet and some words didn't even make it much farther than just chokes. Once she was finally able to hear, however, she immediately wished she couldn't. It made her sick to her stomach to hear.

"No…n- please, I— please no please don't…I can't…not again not again not again please— I can't do it again I can't I won't please please…" There was hardly any pause between one phrase and another. His lips hardly moved, he hardly paused to breathe. There was a faraway look to his eyes, and Kairi had to take a deep breath and steel herself. She wasn't sure of it— of what she thought. She wasn't sure of anything anymore; nobody was. But she was sure that something was wrong; that this wasn't right, that this wasn't Sora. That she wasn't about to let him suffer like this. That she would rather die.

Kairi reached over and slowly put a hand on his elbow. He didn't even flinch, or bat an eye. She took another even breath. She made absolutely sure that her voice was as soothing and as even as possible when she spoke. "Sora." Still, there was nothing, and she was slowly becoming surer. As sure as one _could_ be, that was. She tried again, just to be sure. "Sora. Sora, look at me. Look at me, please." There was a lump in her throat that was growing impossibly harder to speak around.

Sora still did not react to her. He curled even tighter to himself, if such a thing were possible, and Kairi closed her eyes in a tight grimace as she realized that he was crying. His shoulders were shaking and his breathing was quickly ragged, and though she moved to lean out to the side, she was stopped cold at his next slurred phrase. "No, just— just kill me…" The three words slammed all the air out of her lungs, and for a heartbeat she was paralyzed as well. Her eyes stung, and before she knew it, she was crying too. "Just kill me instead please just kill me just kill me kill me _kill me please_ …" It came out in nothing but constricted sobs. They began to shake his entire body, and he was quickly falling apart under it.

She gritted her teeth and swallowed hard. She shoved it all down and she let go of his arm, moving instead to plant herself in front of him. Her hands went to hold either side of his face, just like she had done to the thing she had _thought_ was him. And she steered his gaze to clash with hers. "Sora!" She couldn't help the fact that her voice came out louder than anticipated. She regretted it as soon as the first syllable was out of her mouth. She bit back on the cry, and tried to calm herself down. Tried to ignore the fact that tears were rushing down her face, and her lips were trembling.

As she forced Sora to rip away his gaze from the wall and go instead to her, his gaze began to clear away from its fog. He sucked in a sharper gasp, as if he'd been deep underwater and was just now finally being given the opportunity to breathe. His hands flew up from where they were gripping his legs, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to strike her. She didn't flinch away, and he buffered, stopping before he could begin to hit anything. For a second he was scrambled, staring at Kairi like he'd never seen her before. Like this was their first meeting, and he didn't know why she was so close.

But it was quick to crumble, and he was quick to do so as well. His expression shattered, and his escalated breathing picked up again. Instead of holding to himself, he went to her, and his fingers wrapped tightly around her arms. The grip was tight and urgent, and she winced just a little bit as his nails began to leave crescent marks in her skin. She did not move, though, not an inch. And she still stayed close when he began to break down and cry all over again, his tremors returning as though they'd never left. "Kai- I- he was- I couldn't- but-" He couldn't complete a sentence— not a single thought. It only made the panic flare hotter.

Kairi shook her head fast, not finding fault in his sobbing because she was too. "You're fine!" she reassured him, the words coming out almost breathless. Her hands moved gently, to stroke his cheek, to brush her fingers back through his hair, in the mindless attempt to soothe him. The gestures were instantaneous and thoughtless. He didn't move away. In fact, he held even closer. She shook her head again and offered him a smile that was brokenhearted through her tears. "You're absolutely fine, Sora, you're safe, you're safe here, and you're _completely_ fine!"

He ducked his head down lower. To avoid her gaze. He closed his eyes tightly, and fought to get his breathing back under control. For now, panic was coursing through his system, setting his blood on fire and his heart to hammer against his chest. The moment it would begin to ebb, though, burning shame would be waiting in the wings to rush and take its place. He clung to Kairi, a lifeline that had once again strung itself to him. Something stable to hold onto to prevent being dragged away by the current. Still gasping, he struggled to understand what was happening. Where one thing ended and the other began. "You— did you see him?"

Her heart broke and her stomach twisted. "No, no I didn't," she said softly. Before she even really finished her reply, Sora ducked down even lower. His grip tightened, and frustration began to slowly borer his cries. He gritted his teeth and a low wailing noise leaked its way forward, filled with so much confusion and anger and sorrow and frustration that Kairi had to cringe away from it and take another deep breath before she was alright to go on. And she did go on, because she had to. She looked back at him and shifted so that she could force him to look at her again. Though it was more than painful to look at his anguished expression head-on. "No, I didn't see him, Sora, but—"

"I'm crazy," he breathed, heaving for air but never really being able to fill his lungs. He was drowning, she could see, and she was struggling to pull him up to the surface all on her own. And looking at him and the expression he held, which could very well serve as all the evidence needed for such a statement, guilt once again came forward to wrap a vice grip around her throat. Because that statement – that idea – had not existed until just now. The idea that he was the one in the wrong, and that there was something wrong with _him_ , had been given to him. By _them_. By his _friends_. It had been hand-delivered, and now it was causing him to fall apart. "I'm crazy, I'm going crazy," he sobbed, regret and sorrow clogging his voice now. "I'm insane, I'm going insane, Kairi, I can't—"

She almost believed him. For a half of a second, she almost feared the same.

But then she remembered his lifeless body in her arms. She remembered Axel screaming, holding absolutely nothing but looking down like he was clinging to the world.

"No! No, you're not!" Again, she struggled to catch that smile back. She refused to let him duck back down despite his efforts; she kept her grip where it was, she allowed him to the do the same, and she shook her head. "You're not crazy, Sora, you're not at all, I know you aren't," she rushed. His eyes flashed with something akin to shock, and she realized with a rush of relief that his hyperventilating stuttered for a second. She quickly latched onto the small success, and she scooted closer, shaking her head again once more and stroking through his hair again. "Nothing is wrong with you, Sora, absolutely _nothing_ is wrong. Something else is wrong, something _else_ is going on, this has _nothing_ to do with you, do you understand me?" she demanded.

Sora stared at her blankly. She could see him attempting to connect the dots.

"You're perfectly fine, Sora," Kairi exhaled. "You're just fine. We were wrong, we were so _wrong_ , and we _hurt_ you because of it, and I'm so sorry Sora, I'm _so_ sorry." She closed her eyes and let go of him, so that she could lean over and wrap her arms tightly around his frame, still smaller from his time away. There was the smallest of pauses before he mimicked her, and she felt him cling to her. His head ducked down to fit against her shoulder and she felt his own begin to shake again as he began to cry again. Not panicked this time, and worried, like a moment prior. This time it was more broken and sorrowful— it wasn't from panic or from worry. This was from something else. Maybe _everything_ else.

Kairi said nothing more. The only thing she did was curl closer, and resign herself to silence. She let him cry, because at the very least, she owed him that much. She wouldn't leave him—not again. Never again would she make such a stupid and such a cruel mistake. After this, she would stay by his side, and she would go with him downstairs, and she would speak to the others, and she would try her best, and she would figure this out. After this, she would never turn her back on Sora again, and she would make it up to him. Afterwards, she would do each and every one of those things.

For right now, though, she stayed right there with him, and she held him together for the moment, so he did not have to.

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A/N: Once again, I am sorry for the hiatus. I will be solemnly surprised if I get more than like three reviews for this story, for everyone still reading, haha. And also eternally grateful. I would like to pick this story up again and update it regularly (as regularly as a nursing student can get). But again, it depends on what I stated in the first note. If you all could tell me what you think, I would really appreciate it.

So yes! Thank you for those of you who are reading, and I hope this chapter makes it halfway worth it! Starting to spin together more wheels, look at them all go!

I apologize for typos. It's one in the morning and I have work tomorrow! I gotta be up in six hours, so please be gentle. If anyone would point them out so politely, I would _love_ to fix them! :)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I was so astonished at the response I received from last chapter! You all are the best readers ever, for being so understanding after more than a year of absolutely nothing! Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart. I promise I will try my best to update around my schedule, because you all deserve that much, and my excitement for writing has finally come back! It's an amazing feeling to have, so thank you for that as well.

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"I…I don't understand…" The confession was hardly a mumble. It didn't surprise Axel in the slightest to hear the reaction; he had been expecting it, really. After all, in a way, he had been the one saying those very words just a few hours ago. But still, despite that fact, disappointment and awkwardness was quick to settle down across his shoulders. Where he was sitting on the couch in front of the brunette, he leaned over at the waist a bit, so that he could duck his head and hold it in his hands. A wearied sigh escaped his throat, and his shoulders sagged.

Irony was a cruel thing. It absolutely _sucked_.

At his obvious reaction, guilt welled up into Aerith's expression, and she quickly attempted to right her reaction. "I'm sorry," she rushed, shaking her head. "I didn't mean— I didn't mean anything by it, I was just surprised. I…" Her forehead creased, and a cautious frown traced her lips downwards. "You're…you're seeing things too? You're seeing things that aren't there?"

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, a sense of frustration tightening his chest. The way it sounded— hearing it this way made it sound like…but that was the point, wasn't it? His face fell even more even before the thought could finish itself. The question made it seem like he was mental. It made it seem like he should be shoved into a padded room, or locked away for his own safety. He _had_ seen _something_ though. He had seen Xion, he had seen Roxas— no, he'd _heard_ Roxas, even. They had been there, and then in a flash…they just _hadn't_.

 _Was_ this what happened to Sora? Was it different? Was there even a way to tell? He'd been tired, had he just warped the line between reality and imagination? He'd been stressed…it was an option. What other option was there? But then again, if that was the only reasoning there was, then what about Kairi? She had been screaming— calling out for Sora…she'd ran away before Goofy could even ask her what had happened. Maybe it was something else? Maybe it wasn't what it looked like. Exhaustion and frustration kept his eyes shut tightly, and he let out another heavy exhale.

Is this what Sora had felt like? Is this what _they_ had made Sora feel like?

Regardless of what this was, of _how_ it was happening…regardless of even whether or not this was connected at _all_ to Sora's condition at the moment…that last part was true. Kairi had been right; even if something was wrong with Sora, even if this was separated, this must have been what he felt too, when he was faced with those words, and those questions. He straightened back, and he opened his eyes again. He met Aerith's confused and worried gaze, and he offered her an aimless shrug of the shoulders. His voice was dull and almost defeated when he replied. "I don't know," he admitted. The words seemed to echo in the silent house. "I don't know," he repeated. "I don't know what happened, I'm not sure."

She bit down on her lower lip, glancing back to the door that Kairi had vanished behind. "They haven't come down yet…" she fretted. "I wonder if he's okay…he didn't stay down here very long at all after you left, and he never came down again. Maybe he fell asleep…? Though recently he's never been able to…" It was more of a habit for her to worry than anything else. It was still a shock to know that Sora didn't need her help in getting around, or to even sit up from his bed like he had before. He was perfectly healthy, to all her sight and knowledge; if he wanted to come back down by himself, he would be perfectly capable. He just didn't want to.

The thought brought a sharp pang to shake her heart, and she found herself turning back at once, to try and train her thoughts elsewhere. "Here." She leaned down so that she could be level with him a bit more. She reached out to him and offered a smile, tilting her head down to what she held in her hands. It was a mug of some dark-colored drink; the steam that rose off from it was enough to tell that it was warm, but Axel could feel its heat even from where he sat.

The Nobody eyed the cup skeptically. He'd heard plenty of horror stories from Leon in particular about Aerith when it came to making drinks. So he said nothing at first, and he certainly didn't move to take it from her. It didn't seem to come as a surprise, but Aerith didn't react harshly at all. She just softened and laughed a little bit under her breath. "It's alright," she reassured him. "It'll give you strength. You look awfully worn-out…if you drink some of this, it'll give you your wind right back. I promise."

He stared at it for just a moment more, before he sighed and he reached over with a small: 'Thank you.' It warmed his hands the moment he touched it, and he figured that it couldn't be too bad. At the very least, he couldn't really refuse it when Aerith was staring at him like that. He lifted it up to his mouth and he took a sip, and immediately he was flooded with a tingling warmth. It was a surprising rush that nearly socked him straight in the gut, and he was almost so caught off-guard that he dropped the mug. It tasted way too sweet at the same time; it tasted like it could give him a cavity simply from a passing gulp. Aerith smiled in relief and a little bit of smugness, but he opted to ignore that last part and gulp down the rest of whatever it was he'd been given. It was like the drink went right down to his muscles and poured energy right back into them.

It was gone before he even realized it, and once it was, he sat up straighter, feeling like he'd just woken up from a ten hour nap. "That was— what was in that?" Aerith started to reply, when his nose wrinkled, and he made a bit of a face at the overly-sweet aftertaste now lingering in his mouth. "It tastes like you dumped about a gallon of frosting in this!" he exclaimed, temporarily forgetting the healing effects in favor focusing on the fact he felt like he'd just had about twelve cookies shoved in his mouth at once. "Leon told me you made weird-tasting drinks, I guess this isn't as bad as when you added milk to—"

"Oh…" Axel's words were sliced through by Aerith's troubled mumble. Her face fell, just the smallest bit of sorrow clouding her gaze now. She had taken the now-empty cup away from Axel, but instead of him, she was looking down to study it. She wilted. Once her eyes flickered up, and once she saw that he was looking at her with a bit of bemusement, she tried to move to explain. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just…I wasn't thinking, I guess," she laughed. But it was a hollow-sounding giggle, and its accompanying smile was quick to drop too.

"It's just something I whip up sometimes…it's a simple rejuvenation tea, but it does wonders. I used to only make them sometimes…with all the different things I've had to remember recently, I'm surprised that the recipe hasn't occurred to me. I made some last night, when I realized how tired everyone's been getting…with all the Heartless, and the stress, and especially when everyone was looking for Sora…"

She frowned again, and Axel watched in slight concern when she had to stop and clear her throat. Still, the brunette attempted to upkeep the grin she was wearing. "I used to make a cup every time that Sora came back to us," she murmured; now, her voice was laden with a certain sorrowful wistfulness. "Whenever he would tell us he was coming, I would have it waiting for him, or when he showed up out of the blue, I would always rush it together. Just to try and help him…as much as I could, anyway, that was all it was. The first time I gave it to him, he spat it right out— he said it was way too bitter…he actually said it tasted like grass," she giggled. "So I added some things to it, and I tested out a few recipes trying to make it better— sweeter…and eventually he loved it. Exactly this way. You know, back before…"

He would always make it a focus point, despite anything. Aerith would be the first to admit that she didn't have much to contribute to things when it came to reasons why Sora would be there. When he came, it was never her that rushed off with them, or to even talk about what was going on. That was always Yuffie, and Leon— even Cid was involved with the security system they'd had going around the town. Merlin would help him with magic and help with gathering together and fixing Pooh's book, and Aerith would simply be in the background, there to help if someone got hurt or needed a sympathetic ear. It wasn't the easiest thing to reflect upon or admit, but she would. Making healing salves like this one was one of her only _real_ talents.

Maybe Sora knew that, and that was why. He would march into the house, spurred on some Heartless chase or some other issue brewing in their world, but he would never fail to pause everything and smile gratefully at Aerith, who usually waited in the wings. He would always take the mug with a huge beam, and he would thank her profusely and make a show of the fact that he could have what he claimed was his favorite drink. The sweeter she made it, the more he seemed to smile and puff up with energy. Whether he was prepping for a battle, or recovering from one, it was always the same.

She remembered one night, after Sora and his friends had helped cleanse Hollow Bastian of a particularly nasty infestation of Neoshadows. He'd come back worn and exhausted; the smile he had been wearing before had been completely dashed. All of them had been deflated, after the fight. But fifteen minutes later, and everyone was sitting on the ground together, laughing and talking like nothing at all had happened. It was the last real time they had gotten the chance to; the next time Sora had come, it had been before the huge battle that had gone so wrong and had started this whole thing.

That was the last memory she had of him that way. He was sitting, smushed up between Goofy and Donald like a sandwich to make room on the floor. He had a huge smile on his face, and he was laughing over something silly that Yuffie had giggled out. His eyes were bright, and they were filled with happiness and relief that was almost immeasurable. She remembered how he had held the mug of Aerith's tea in his hands, and she remembered how he had triumphantly declared that he had the best friends ever, and they were all so talented, including "Aerith, who is a _master_ at making drinks, and Leon, if you were _any closer_ to me, or if I wasn't so _lazy_ , I would go over and there and smack that look off your face, so you're one lucky guy."

He'd hugged everyone goodbye before he had to leave and continue on. And he'd given her a softer smile, he'd given her back the cup like he always had, and he'd given her the affectionate and sincere 'thank you' he always did. He'd turned and rushed off after Donald and Goofy after that, the tiniest skip in his step. That was the last time she had seen him truly happy. Not worried or concerned or tense, like he'd been when he'd come back to see all the Heartless crawling around Hollow Bastian. And certainly not like he was now: withdrawn, and skittish, and scared…and most of all sad.

"Aerith?"

She started, tensing up at the sound of her name. She realized with a jolt that her eyes were beginning to well up with tears, and she quickly shook her head. "Sorry, sorry!" she chirped, pumping artificial aloofness into her tone. Axel was frowning, but she gave him a smile. "Don't mind me. I just— I was just thinking about something. It's not important." But it was; it really was. Despite it, she shook her head again. In the smallest of murmurs, she offered a tinier: "Sorry for making it so sweet. Habit. I guess." Before Axel could react to the apology, she purposefully moved on. "You said you were seeing things? You said you saw something out there that…that wasn't? Like Sora did before?"

Goofy had been standing off to the side this entire time. Unlike his duck counterpart, he managed to know when he should stay out of a situation. He'd been silent, and his only reaction to the entire scene was to look upon Aerith in concern and worry, like he wanted to march over and hug her. Axel was almost surprised he didn't pull such a stunt. But at the question, he did straighten up a little bit more, and that distracting sorrow melted away a bit to be replaced with thought. Axel, not looking back at him, just shook his head. "I…I mean, I guess…" he mumbled, though he sounded far too unsure. He grimaced and tried to fix himself. "I don't know what happened. I did— …I did see some things, and I guess nobody else did? I…it was all kind of weird, I…maybe?"

It wasn't the best; it wasn't anywhere close. But it was all he had right about now.

Aerith was silent for a moment as she digested the news.

Goofy looked between the two, more confused than anything. Finally, he broke his silence, and he took a few steps forward. Axel did turn to look at him with this, and he was just as put-off with the look that was on the other's face. "Axel…I don't think—"

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sound of a small creak off to the side. Immediately, the three of them shut up and dropped whatever kind of conversation was struggling to bridge itself between them. Their attention zeroed back to the door, and the atmosphere grew heavy with tension in the blink of an eye. Kairi was first to come into view; at first, they all feared that she would be coming down by herself and Sora had refused to follow. But they all relaxed – in a sense, at least – when they saw Sora trailing a ways behind her.

Kairi recognized that all eyes were on them, and she tried her best to put a stop to it before Sora did the same. Her blue eyes flashed with a silent warning, and her voice was the smallest bit guarded when she looked at Axel and Goofy. "I'm glad you made it back safe." It was the first thing she could think of to say. She said it confidently enough not to be questioned, though. She kept talking, but Axel wasn't paying much mind. His eyes flickered over to Sora instead. Immediately, they flooded with guilt.

The way Sora was standing left him to be halfway obscured by Kairi; it was like he was taking shelter behind her, or he was too apprehensive to emerge from out behind her all the way. His eyes were red and raw, like he'd been crying, and Axel couldn't mistake the fact that his hands were shaking just the smallest bit. He was made perfectly healthy by the goddess that Axel had taken him to— out of everyone, he knew that the most. But somehow, though it was clear Sora was healthy bodily, he still looked sick. In a way. The posture he held, and the look in his eyes, made it seem like he was still barely there, or struggling to hold on.

He still looked defeated. Like he'd looked every single day he was herded to that room to kill the Heartless.

Sora looked up after a moment, looking dull and apprehensive at the same time. Their gazes clashed, and Axel found that it was even worse to meet the expression head-on. This time at least Sora didn't glare at him like he had before, but at the same time Axel almost would have rather have had that. Maybe it would have lessened the weight of responsibility he felt for the face that was staring right back at him. Maybe it would have taken away some of the sting in the knowledge that despite what he had told Sora time and time again when he had been recovering, he'd done wrong against him and therefore broke a promise. Maybe it would have placed blame, and maybe then Axel would have felt the smallest bit better somehow.

But Sora didn't glare at him. He just looked at him blankly. Tiredly, and without a clue.

Axel didn't say a single word. He turned and he pushed himself up from the couch, finding moving to be much easier now, as a result of the frosting-tea. Kairi stopped short in whatever she had been saying when he turned and he made his way over to them. Sora didn't react to the advance; he just waited, looking at Axel like someone might a stranger they weren't exactly sure how to greet properly. It didn't stop Axel, though. He met Sora's emptied gaze with his own, which was filled with enough regret and remorse to be shared between the both of them. Looking down at him and seeing the blue eyes stare right back in such a way brought the fresh image of Roxas to his mind, and immediately the pangs in his stomach grew to be ten times worse.

He couldn't stop himself or wonder whether or not Sora would even reciprocate such a gesture. But he quickly leaned down and, before Sora even had a chance to object if that was what he wanted to do, Axel reached out and scooped him into a hug. It was hard and nearly bone-crushing, and Sora squeaked with a bit of surprise as he was hoisted up off the ground and left to dangle. Axel disregarded it. Kairi's face fell, and she looked away down to the ground, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Sora was still way too light for his own good; that much hadn't changed, apparently. So it made holding him close that much easier for Axel. He ducked his head down a bit and grimaced. His voice came out muffled against Sora's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's…I don't know. I'm just sorry…"

Sora didn't move at first. His eyes were a little wide with alarm after the sudden lift. But it was all too easy for the initial distress to fade away into nothing. He had sat upstairs with Kairi for what seemed like ages, and after that, he had been almost certain he had no water left at all for tears. That was the only reason he had offered the small "Yes" when Kairi had eventually asked if he was alright to get up; he'd assumed the threat of looking pathetic in front of anyone _else_ was nonexistent. But as Axel's arms wrapped tight around his middle, Sora found that his eyes were burning all over again, and his throat was swelling shut tight.

He'd run out of so many things recently, that he never would have thought. Happiness, trust, hope, optimism. But he never seemed to run out of tears.

Acutely aware of how loud and blatant his sniff was, Sora wriggled his arms out from underneath Axel's and wrapped them over his shoulders. He held to Axel just as tightly as he did to him, with unanticipated force. His stare was bleak as he looked directly over Axel's shoulder, not really staring at anything so much as he was trying to look through it all. Pending a moment of silence in which everyone was more than wise not to interrupt, Sora spoke. His voice was quiet, and the question was hesitant. He barely got it out in the first place. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Axel weakened at the question. His answer would have been the same, regardless, and so it came in a quick snap— almost harsh. "No." The flatness of his tone ruled out any argument that could have been offered. He let Sora back down to the ground, and though Sora's arms slid back down to his sides, Axel kept his hands on him, bracing either of his shoulders. Despite the strong rejection, Sora's expression remained fearful, and it only made him that much more inclined to shove harder. "There's nothing wrong with you, nothing at all, we can fix this. Better than before— we weren't thinking clearly before. We have to…we have to—"

"There's nothing _to_ fix," Kairi rejected. Like Aerith and Goofy, she had taken the role of an audience member before. But now she stepped forward, side-to-side with Sora. Her eyes were narrowed a bit as she looked at Axel. "There's nothing to fix," she repeated. Sora closed his eyes. His head ducked just a little bit. And, acutely aware of the response, Kairi rushed ahead. "Axel, we both _saw_ things. You were yelling, asking me to help someone that wasn't there. And I—" She quieted, and for a heartbeat her expression darkened and she said nothing. She abandoned the effort and instead drew in a sharp breath to continue. "And I saw something that couldn't be explained either."

Nobody said anything. The house was deafeningly silent. Axel's gaze had reclaimed its faraway, pained look.

She looked from one person to the other, clearly more than a little bit on-edge. "Don't you see?" she demanded. "It can't be blamed on anything wrong with Sora; not when Axel and I both saw things that weren't there! We have to tell the others, whatever is going on is affecting our heads— _all_ of our heads. Not just Sora's! We need to figure out what's behind this, because if we don't, then who knows that would—"

"Kairi, you weren't seeing anything…" She stopped instantly, and her mouth snapped shut. The objection nearly winded her, it came out of nowhere. She turned and she looked at who had cut her off, shock and confusion writing over her face when her eyes fell on Goofy. Everyone's did, including Sora, who opened his eyes and turned to his friend. Though his expression was much harder to read than anyone else's. Goofy's expression, however, was like a book. He looked hesitant to speak at all, much less try and fight her, and his hands wrung together a bit in front of him. The hesitation in his eyes made a manifestation elsewhere as he went silent, unsure whether to go on or not.

Kairi made the decision for him. "What do you mean?" The question was so flat, you could drive a car on it.

Goofy shuffled his feet a bit. He looked from Kairi to Axel. Maybe on purpose, he didn't look at Sora at all. "You weren't…well ya weren't seeing _anything_ ," he repeated. "Neither of you were." He looked genuinely concerned as he surveyed the pair. Both of them only met the worry with obvious confusion. "We were all fightin' Heartless on our way back to here, and…well, Axel, you were too worn-out from doing all your magic spells, and you just fell right over." The Nobody jerked backwards a little bit, his forehead creasing over. "And Kairi, you couldn't swing your keyblade fast enough anymore— you got hit and you smacked right into the wall. Both of you got knocked out. I had to clear out the Heartless myself, and make sure nobody got hurt worse."

Kairi had stiffened, her mind spluttering blank for a moment. She tried to recall what in the world he was talking about. She'd gotten hit? She remembered her keyblade getting heavier and heavier, of course she did. At the most, she could last about ten minutes before her arms felt way too dead to move at all. And after running through the worlds with Riku in search for Sora for so long, she'd been dead on her feet by the time they had arrived back, only to be shoved out the door all over again. _Everyone_ was tired, it wasn't anything special. But she didn't think that she had been so exhausted that she would have let her guard down so much, though. Let alone not remember it.

In her confusion, the look she sent Goofy came out looking more hostile than she meant it to. She would stop and feel guilty about it later. "That's…that's not right," she dismissed. "No, we were _all_ fighting. We were all just fine." Sora was staring at her in silence. His face was growing over with that apprehension again. She turned and looked at Axel, relieved at least to find that he seemed just as lost as she was. "Axel turned and he ran off after something— I tried calling after him. You said— Goofy, I asked you if you could handle things and you said you could. I ran after him, and then…that's when everything happened."

Goofy shuffled his feet. But he shook his head. "Axel fell down first. You went to help him— he was mumblin' somethin' to you, but he wasn't makin' any sense." The two looked at each other with mirrored expressions of dumbfounded puzzlement. "You were goin' to help him, when a Heartless came up. And you couldn't move fast enough to help. You looked just as tired as Axel was. I used my last potion to help you out, when I could; you had a real bad cut on your head." She reached up as if to try and find the injury. "I was worried about Axel, but I got him to wake up again once the last of the Heartless were gone. And then I got you up, but you were all scared about somethin'. Like you were havin' a nightmare. And you asked where Sora was, like you were worried about him…"

She blanched. "I…no, that's not right. It's not," she pressed. "It wasn't a dream, I— I _saw_ Axel, I saw him holding someone; he was sitting up, he wasn't laying down. I can remember every word he said. It's not fuzzy at all, I can remember it plain as day, because I— I never got hit, I never lost…" Had she? Was there a blip, was there a space where she could have gotten hit, and fallen unconscious? She turned to Axel. "You get it, right?" she asked. "It wasn't a dream; it couldn't have been. Things couldn't have gotten that messed up. It doesn't make any sense!"

He was silent for a moment. Either he was digesting the news and trying to form his own conclusion, or he was simply trying not to buckle underneath what was taking place. Eventually he gave a small shake of the head. "None of it makes sense." The reply came out in nothing but an exhale. "None of it does." He turned and he looked down to Sora, searching his face. Still, Sora offered nothing. Kairi was more than alarmed to realize that hollow defeat was now coming back to replace the small amount of hope he'd gotten when she'd reassured him that he was fine.

It hadn't been a dream— it hadn't, she was _positive._ When she'd fallen down to her knees in front of the Sora she thought she had seen, a jolt of shock had lanced up her knees. She had screamed so much her throat had hurt; none of those things could be blamed as the result of a half-awake dream. She had felt Sora in her arms. She had felt his weight, and she had felt how cold he'd grown through blood loss. And even in a dream, she didn't think she would even be capable of creating such a realistic picture of death. She'd seen it far too many times when it came to Sora. No mind could be cruel enough to make her witness it again that vividly.

"It couldn't have been." Her words were flatter now, and colder. Her stare was slowly becoming outwardly unfriendly when she looked at Goofy. Still, her friend only looked back at her helplessly. "Something else has to be happening. It must be magic, or— or some kind of Heartless that can mess with what you see, but it can't be blamed on dreams. It can't be blamed on Sora, don't you _see_ that!?" Impatience and her own doubts were sparking into anger. "We can't let this continue on, we have to be able to—"

Aerith had taken a few steps forward now, and Kairi was cut off when she reached over to place a hand lightly on her shoulder. The touch was more than gentle, but the moment contact was made, her head snapped around. Aerith's expression stayed encouraging, however. Her eyes flickered over her with a trace of kind worry. "I think everyone is on the same page, here," she soothed. At once, Kairi felt a flash of indignation at the sound of her pandering voice. "I think we all just need a second— we've all been going nonstop for days. I think if you and Axel rest for a little bit, you'll feel much better. Okay? If you want, I can tell the others what happened. I'm sure they would understand, and would give you a little bit of time."

She started to argue. Her mouth opened, and she prepared to fight back more. To remind them that she had run after Axel, fully running away from Goofy and going someplace else entirely. To point out why the stories did not match, and to demand why Goofy was throwing a wrench in what was supposed to be the clear fix to this problem. She stopped short when she saw the look that was on his face. Goofy looked genuinely confused and upset, just like Aerith did. He looked guilty, and when his eyes went to Sora, and when he saw the downtrodden expression on his friend's face, the regret seemed to double over on itself. He looked like he regretted breaking his silence in the first place.

Her mind struggled. It blanked and it buffered, unsure of what to do. Everything was going so fast, and none of it lined up. She stood for a moment, mute. She looked back at Aerith. It hadn't been a dream. Axel knew the same thing, she could see that he did. Or he suspected it, at the very least. Something was wrong. Something was really, very wrong. She didn't know what to do, though. If it didn't make sense, how could she possibly find a way to _react_ in a way that made sense? She turned over to Sora, and did not recognize the look he gave her in response. How empty and how disappointed. It wasn't her Sora. It made her sick to her stomach.

She wanted to help him. She thought that she could. She thought that this would be it; she thought that she would be able to clear the air to everyone, and they could all move on and actually figure some things out. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to make things even worse. She was almost inclined to follow Sora's lead. She was almost ready to throw in the towel, and bend to whatever Goofy was saying. Maybe she had thought that her head was level on her shoulders, but maybe she _had_ just been struck by a Heartless at the exact right time to make things appear differently.

He shook his head, barely moving it in anything more than a twitch. His voice came out in just a small mumble. "It's fine, Kairi." The words were hollower than his expression was.

But it wasn't. Looking at Sora, she remembered what he'd said— what he had cried when he had held tightly to her.

" _I'm crazy, I'm going crazy. I'm insane…"_

Sorrow clenched at her heart, and she wavered, unsure of what to do for a moment. She could try and argue more— but it would certainly cause more problems for all of them. They had turned so easily on Sora and blamed what he saw on his own mind unraveling with stress. Wouldn't that be waiting for them if she and Axel were to dismiss what had – apparently – happened right under Goofy's nose? She could try…it was better than doing nothing, wasn't it? But if they were all lumped into the same category of having problems…then what else would be left but to…?

From the very recesses of her mind, because she certainly hadn't had the chance to stop and really remember it with how fast everything had spiraled out of control, she remembered what she had been told before, back in The Land of Dragons. At first she hadn't understood it. She hadn't understood the meaning behind the words, and at the same time, she hadn't understood why the Emperor had even stopped to speak with her. She'd been honored; of course, in that moment, sitting beside Sora after he'd freshly torn his stitching, she hadn't really stopped too much to reflect on what he'd said to her. Now, it sparked back to life from the very back of her mind.

" _But it is the course of life. It is here, and no amount of wishful thinking may reverse the fact; just like you cannot will away a storm because you are without an umbrella. You cannot change the way a stream flows just because you want it to. The stream has been carved this way— it cannot be altered. …Once a stream changes its course, you can do absolutely nothing to change it. It is permanent. The most you can do…is try and find a way to handle the new current as best you possibly can."_

If this was permanent…if this was how it would be…

No. She wouldn't let Sora think anything like that anymore; it wasn't true. It wasn't. She wasn't about to let any of this continue. This problem might seem permanent at the moment, but she wasn't about to get swept away by the new current. She'd find a new way to swim, and she sure as hell wasn't about to let Sora drown. She took in a slow breath, and she turned back to Aerith after holding his gaze for one more second. "No, that's— that's okay, don't worry about it," she dismissed. Her friend perked in a little bit of confusion. But she recovered enough to give her a smile. "Really, Aerith, it's fine. I…you have a point. I've just…been too strung-out recently. Me and Axel both."

Axel turned at this, confused. He started to say something, but Kairi rushed on before he could. "I think it's gotten in our heads, maybe…maybe that's all it is." Aerith seemed much more reassured when she gave up the fight. Goofy did too. "I guess we must have just gotten all turned around. Sleep will probably do us both some good."

"Yeah, I think it will," Aerith agreed. "I can fix you all something to eat? Maybe that would help too." Her voice was warm with the offer, though her eyes filled with a touch of concern when she looked over to Sora. "Sora, do you want something to eat?"

He was silent. "No," he murmured, looking up and off to the side. "I'm not hungry."

Aerith wilted with disappointment, but she was far from surprised by the answer. It was the one she always got. Kairi edged to the side a bit, sidling just the tiniest bit closer to Sora. And she kept up her smile. "We're all just tired," she repeated, glancing at Axel, who was looking at her a bit differently now. "Maybe we'll be hungrier after. But I think for right now we should just rest." She glanced over at Goofy. "Maybe you can go and find the others. You could see how they're doing and help them?" For good measure, she added: "You can tell them we ran out of steam. Sleep with probably help better than anything else, and we're not really much use to anyone…getting confused. We can catch up with them later."

Goofy paused. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Kairi nodded quickly. "Yeah, of course. We just…need some time." She looked at Sora, and she fought the urge not to weaken. She fought in that second, and she was sure she would continue to fight for the rest of her life, not to remember how he'd looked upstairs. How he had shook and held tightly to her and cried, when before he had never failed to stop smiling. She fought not to remember and to keep herself in check. She would be the stronger one right now, if that was needed. She would be the stronger one without a single hesitation. She gave him a tiny nod, and tried to reassure him as much as she possibly could. "We're fine," she promised. "We just need a little bit of time."

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"Don't give me any o' that!" he snapped, waving the other off. "You woulda done the same thing! I was _just_ about to send out the Heartless for 'em before that dumb dog got in the way! Rushin' up there and breaking the whole thing apart like it was nothin'! What do you expect me to do!? I _tried_ to distract 'im. If you ask me, it's _his_ stupid spell that's the problem, _not_ me!" He fumed, turning and looking over his shoulder with a scowl. "It's not like _I_ ask for it to be easier to break than a toothpick!"

The other glared at him. The distaste he held for him was clear, but what was clearer was the distaste he held for the attempt to try and shoulder the blame. He growled a little bit under his breath, anger swelling over his face and saying all the words that needed to be said. The original speaker fluffed up in irritation with the reaction. He glowered, and his words came out bristly and tart. "If you think you could do so much better, then maybe you should've been the one to do it instead of givin' it to me! Maybe if ya did that, you woulda seen it wasn't so easy!" Though he didn't enjoy the fact that the other wasn't nearly as bothered by the responsibility as he maybe had wanted him to be. "Not like you would get anywhere. It's _still his_ fault! He's not givin' us enough— he's messin' up the whole thing! I told you it wouldn't work! We should have kept with your magic! Would have saved us a _heap_ of trouble!"

The annoyance he brought was more than enough, and the other let out a furious roar that seemed to shake the ground. At first, he cringed away from the noise, and fear was quick to rush over him. After the shock wore, however, he attempted to shake it off and pretend it was never there in the first place. His skills of doing so were rather sharpened, after all these years. "I wouldn't start thinkin' you know more than I do!" he yelled. "Where have _you_ been up until now!? I know this pipsqueak like the back of my hand! And I know it won't mean a _thing_ if that little 'princess' thinks she's onto somethin'. Not with how far he's gotten off the rail!" Smugness leaked like poison over his smile. "He's still squirmin' and that's all we need right now anyway! If things keep goin' like this, we'll have that runt in no time! Don't you think I know what I'm doin'?"

The question was still met with that judgmental stare. Though at least they weren't outwardly angry anymore.

He waved his hand again, in that same dismissing gesture. "If you're worried 'bout somethin' goin' wrong, then you fix it. _I_ think it'll be just fine. _That's_ not the part that'll get us!" It was old news. With the way the kid was flopping now, there was no way it would matter; he had solved it with the extra push he'd given. It'd chalk itself up to be some stupid mistake on their part. That wasn't what was important— _this_ was what was more important. "You want everythin' to be _right now_ , then that's your job! Nothin' else is gonna matter if the runt's brain is scrambled before anyone can even say 'Whoops!' And that's supposed to be _your job,_ not mine! I'm just here with the Heartless!"

They scowled again, but looked away. He figured that was as good a response as anything else.

"You've got to kick that guy into gear— can't you do that much? It's what I brought ya back for— I didn't _need_ to choose _you_ , you know." He ignored the growl that came as a response, and decided maybe skipping a bit more ahead might save his skin more. "If you can do more of those fancy spells, and if you think you're so much better at it than I am, then you gotta put more effort into 'em! Make sure he does too— that he doesn't screw up all our hard work! I'll work on gettin' together more guys and spreadin' those Heartless around, but I can only do so much with what we got! We need to get darkness from _somewhere_. And he's a _fountain_. They all are."

They quieted. Reluctantly, they had to agree.

It seemed to be enough for the other, and they gave an assured nod. Again, that arrogance began to return. He straightened up and put his shoulders back. "Well then! Go on ahead! What're you waitin' for? We don't got all day. You've got your job, and I've got mine." It would be defined now; at least then he couldn't be blamed for something that was out of his hands at the moment. As if to reaffirm the fact to himself, he began to rub them together slowly. "The faster we take care of things, the faster we'll have that puny kid and make sure he gets all that he deserves!"

His companion smirked at this, and his gaze took on that hungry desire it always did when the boy was mentioned. It was like choosing just the right chords to pluck, and he grinned wider. "And we're not the only ones with a bone to pick," he chuckled grimly. "If the shrimp thinks this is bad, then he should just wait and see!" he chortled. "Pretty soon we'll have Heartless running each and every world! And he won't even be able to _remember_ what it was like to be on top!"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"There's got to be _something_ in _one_ of these…" Kairi grumbled. A harsh mixture of irritation and desperation was bristling underneath her tone by this point; she was attempting to keep the tightest lid possible on everything, but with each failure it was getting increasingly difficult. The three of them were sitting in a small circle, and surrounding them, spread out all over the floor, were about millions of different kinds of books. The instant that they had reached the landing, Kairi had basically grabbed the bookshelf in the corner and she'd flung it on the ground. There was bound to be a spell that could maybe explain what was happening. Or there was bound to be a spell they could find to help counteract hallucinations.

…Right?

Not yet.

Sora looked up from the spell book he was currently holing. He had just tossed aside the fifth one after he'd come up, once again, with nothing. Now he was trudging through spells that had something to do with plants. His eyebrows were pulled together in the hint of a wince, and Kairi's stomach twisted when she tried not to look right at it. "Kairi…maybe it's not worth it…" he murmured, reluctant to admit it but not finding anything else really possible. "We've looked through nearly all of these books…maybe—"

"We've still got a lot more to look through," she argued. She wasn't even going to let him try and finish. She looked at him levelly with the rejection, though the look on his face was enough to stab her through. She shook her head, and ducked back into her book. "We have tons of books left. And one them _has_ to talk about some kind of spell that can explain this. A— a mind-control one, or a…or _something_ cognitive. There has to be a spell, and it _has_ to be in one of Merlin's books. We can get an explanation, or we can get something to fight back with, but we are getting _something_."

Sora's face fell. He blinked and he looked back down at his book. But he didn't make any kind of move to turn the pages. Axel glanced up from his own, that guilt and disappointment flashing through the back of his gaze. He shifted, and he flipped to another page, and he cleared his throat a bit. "Yeah, we're bound to be getting somewhere." He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. Truly, he still didn't know what to think. Even when Goofy had broken the news that the _both_ of them had actually keeled over instead of rushed off, Kairi stayed confident in what she claimed happened. She was certain that something was wrong. That Goofy had been seeing things too, and that they had to get to the bottom of it.

Axel didn't know what to think anymore. He didn't know what was right. All he knew now was that he wasn't going to let Sora be alone anymore. With finality, that was his new goal. If that meant staying here and looking through books to try and find something that could ease his mind, then he would. Looking at him now, and seeing the desolate expression on his face, Axel felt like he was close to being sick. The image of Roxas was fresh in the back of his mind. He could remember how flat and defeated his voice was. How empty his eyes were when he'd looked down at him. Just thinking back to it caused his hand to shake as it flipped over a new page. Still nothing that would help them. "He's got enough books for ten libraries," he attempted to tease. "It'd be stupid if we _didn't_ find anything."

Sora grimaced. "Even if we find something, that doesn't mean that's what this is."

For all Kairi reacted, he may as well have stated that he was actually a watermelon. She looked back up from the pages that were currently not helping her at all, and she looked at him with surprising sharpness. "Sora, it's all it _can_ be." He didn't lift his eyes from the words on the paper, though he was far from reading any of them. Regardless, she kept going. "It can't be the truth that Axel and I _both_ don't remember getting hurt. I _ran_ after Axel. I physically _moved_ locations, I _saw_ that new place even when Goofy 'woke me up.'" Again, she was trying to keep herself in check and under control. Trying being the key word. "I could tell you each and every word Axel said to me, Sora; could I have done that if I got knocked out halfway through? I _saw_ —"

Her eyes flashed, and she shut her mouth. Sora looked at her now, and she actually wished that he hadn't. She shook her head, and her eyes flickered down again. "It wasn't a dream, Sora. I don't know what it was. But it wasn't a dream. And if it's happening to me, and if it's happening to Axel, then it's got to have nothing at all to do with you or what…or what happened." It wasn't the best phrasing at all; it wasn't anywhere close. It was all she was about to give at the moment, though. She flipped another page, and hoped it would suffice.

Apparently it didn't.

"What did you see?" The question was hardly able to heard, even though the room was silent save for it. She didn't look back at him, and she certainly didn't answer him. He wilted, but he tried again. It was eating away at him to know. Had she seen something like he had? Or was it different? "Kairi, what did you see?" It was louder now, and the smallest bit of life managed to squeeze back into it.

She shifted. For a second she opened her mouth and she started to worm it out. But it died. She couldn't even look at him, let alone tell him. She reached up and rubbed at her forehead, and she pulled her legs up closer to her chest. "I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly. Sora's face fell even more, if such a thing was even possible. He ducked back down into the book in his lap. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the tightening in her chest; she had to be the stronger one. Right now, Sora needed her to be the stronger one. She struggled to choke back the lump that was clenching in her throat. And she concentrated on not blinking, in the hopes the tears would dissolve before they really even formed.

Silence festered in the air. Nobody spoke for what felt like forever. Before Axel decided he would be the first. "I saw Roxas." When Kairi's eyes inched back over the top of her book, she saw that Sora's head had snapped up to Axel with the admission. His eyes were a little wide, and though he said nothing, he didn't need to say much. It was all written on his face. Axel's own expression had adopted a little bit of the haunted fear Sora's usually held. But he met his stare, and he kept going. "I saw Roxas, and…Xion— she was another friend I had in the Organization. Before you got there. Roxas had…"

He took in a slow breath, like he was trying to calm himself. "Roxas had killed her, back then. He had to. So…when I saw Xion and she ran away, I followed her. When I eventually caught up to her, she was covered in blood. Roxas was there, and he just…he kept saying that he'd had no choice but to kill her. He kept repeating it…like that was the only thing he could say. He wouldn't listen when I tried to ask for help. And…and I heard Kairi behind me, I tried asking her for help. She…she had no idea what I was talking about, but I was _holding_ her." Kairi tucked away again with this. "She was bleeding out— and the way Roxas was staring at me…it was like nothing I'd ever seen before, I—" He hitched for a moment before he just shook his head. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I don't…I don't know what happened. Kairi has a point with some of what she says. It's a little too much to pass off as just some haze."

Sora digested it. He closed his book and leaned over a little bit so that he could put his chin down on his knees. He locked his arms around his legs, and he stayed that way, as if it was the easiest way to stay whole. "I've seen Roxas…before," he recalled. He'd seen him back when he'd been with the Organization, when they'd revealed that they'd had Kairi the entire time under lock and key. He'd shown up and snapped at him— _spoke_ to him, and told him that he couldn't talk and blow Axel's cover, if he wanted to get out. It had been surreal, but it had happened. And more importantly, it had happened: "Before all of this, I did…he spoke to me…"

Axel was unnerved. "Did he…say anything like that? Ever?"

Sora glanced at Kairi. He held a little bit tighter together. "No," he mumbled. "He was just trying to get a point across to me." Again, his gaze crowded with doubt and fright. "Maybe he was just…trying to get something across to you, too. I don't know." His voice was devoid of pretty much anything. Kairi's grip on her book tightened. A shivering sigh scraped out of his throat. He shifted and began to put the book aside. "I think…we should stop." He was done. What was the point? Both of them snapped their attention to him, and he couldn't hold back the injured flinch because of it. But it was true: he was done. "I get that…you want to…make me feel better. But…" He tried to clear his throat, after he realized with a jab of shock that the words were getting thick and choked. "But I don't think it's worth it…"

"No." Kairi sounded angry now, because she _was_. She was fit to kill. She leaned over and grabbed his book back up, and pushed it against his knees until, ignoring his startled look. "No, we're not stopping. That's not an option. We're going to find something. We're going to find _something_. Okay?" Her tone was too harsh; she knew that. She didn't like the way that Sora was looking at her, but she hated the way he was talking about himself more.

So she just locked her jaw backwards and glared at him until he took the book back. "You're not going to give up. _I'm_ not going to give up, and _Axel's_ not going to give up, but most importantly, Sora, _you_ are not going to give up, alright!?" He jerked backwards a little bit at the snap. "We're going to look through these books, and if there's not an answer in any of these, I don't even care. Because we're going to _find_ one. We'll make our own answer, if there's absolutely nothing else." She didn't give him an option at all to look away from her, even though it was more than clear that was all he wanted to do. "Sora, I _know_ this isn't you," she pressed, this coming out the tiniest bit softer. "I _know_ it's not; none of this is your fault, and I'm not going to let you _think_ any _differently_!" The last word cracked in her desperation.

He stared at her in silence, and the stare she was forced to hold was not her friend's. It wasn't the boy who had hung upside down off a tree branch and had given her a smile so bright, that it didn't even matter that it looked like a frown to her. It wasn't the boy who had hugged her tightly when she cried and declared that it didn't matter nobody had asked her to the school dance, because he would take her himself. It wasn't the boy who had looked up at her on the dock, and scoffed an embarrassed: "What's gotten into you?" It wasn't the boy who had smiled and told her to stay behind at Traverse Town, and he would be just fine. It wasn't the boy that had held her hand tightly, and cried out: "Remember what you said before? I'm always with you too! I'll come back to you, I promise!" It wasn't the boy that had laughed in the face of being forgotten; who had just chirped: "You don't remember my _name_? Thanks a _lot,_ Kairi. Okay. I guess I can give you a hint. Starts with an 'S'!"

It wasn't her friend. She wasn't looking at her friend. It was someone else.

And it made her _furious._

Sora said nothing. He just turned back down to look at the book in his hands. For a moment, he was still as a statue. He blinked fast a few times, and she did not mistake the sound of a small, teary sniff. But he kept his head down and he moved so that he could get the book back in his lap. Kairi watched with tightly-pressed lips as Sora got back to the spot he'd been in before. That was it. She frowned, and turned to look over at Axel. He looked just as lost. She thought of saying more— of pressing more. She almost did. But her throat was getting too tight to do anything of the sort, and there were only so many times you could choke it back before it didn't matter anymore. So she just took in slow breath, and she went back to her own studying.

The silence came back, ever-present and ever-crushing.

This time, nobody could break it.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

Kairi sighed, closing her eyes in something akin to a wince as she leaned her back against the wall. She let her hands go limp, and the book she had been holding for the past hour and half slid down to the ground with the smallest of thuds. At the sound, she grimaced, and she turned to look at the others. But it was fine. They'd both fallen asleep ages ago. Apparently, Aerith's tea could only go so far against the magic spell that Axel had unleashed earlier; the Nobody had slouched back against the bedframe a long time before now, and every so often she could hear the stutter of a snore hint its way into being. Sora had fallen asleep too, which she was a little bit relieved about. By the looks of it, he'd already seemed like he was on the verge of passing out.

Now he was curled on his side, his fingers still grasping at the book he'd fallen asleep reading. Something about the balance of magic and fighting; she was pretty sure there wasn't even a spell on the page he had gotten stuck on. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes open, and she didn't blame him for slipping. He rarely ever slept all on his own. She'd been keeping at the search herself for hours, and the evidence came in the form of a growing stack of books to her right, which was the official 'No use' pile. So far all of them had ended up there, and it was where her latest one was left to fall.

She closed her eyes tightly, still seeing inked words on pages, and she whined a bit in the back of her throat as she ran her hands through her hair. With each failure, it was harder and harder to keep her frustration levels down. It was burning and itching under her skin by now; she wished she could just tear it off. There wasn't even a single spell that had to do with the _senses_ , let alone the mind or altering anyone's perception. Their only lead, the only sense of finite proof they could maybe show the others, and it wasn't anywhere to be found.

She was tempted by now, in the silence of her own doubt, to just fess up to the others. To take her stance and say that despite what Goofy saw, she and Axel had been caught in some kind of trance— not knocked aside by Heartless. It was her word against his. The word of someone who had evidently hit their head on a rock shortly before. It wouldn't be much; she knew it wouldn't be. Not for them. If they didn't react in the way that they had with Sora and left them behind, for the two scenarios were nearly identical, then they would certainly dismiss it as some stress-induced episode like Aerith had. The most sympathetic of their group, and she didn't even bend to what they had to say.

She whined again. She didn't know what to do. She really didn't. Frowning, she turned and she looked down at Sora, letting the pain she felt for him show clearly on his face now that he wasn't able to see. He was fully healed, but…he still seemed so small. Was that bias? Or was it truth? Was he really fragmented and warped? Was he truly losing his mind, and did the fear of losing him just combine into something so horrible it felt real? Her lips wavered where they were pressed tightly together, and she cringed, curling up close to herself and pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. Under the pressure, she felt them begin to sting and burn.

She didn't know. She didn't.

Kairi didn't turn and pick up a new book, even though there were still more left than she could count. She just turned and looked back down at Sora, feeling tears warm her cheeks as she reflected on how blatantly unfair and wrong the situation was. He'd never asked for this. He'd never asked for _any_ of this, at _all_. He'd just wanted to be at the island, with her and Riku. He didn't ask to be captured, or to be tortured. He didn't ask for something to go this wrong. He didn't ask for this aftermath. He didn't ask for any of it, and it was still being shoved straight down his throat.

She leaned over and reached out, her hand shaking just a little bit as she made for his, which was still resting on his open page. When the smallest of creaks made her snap her arm back to herself, and her eyes to fly wide as they went to the steps. However, her flare of alarm was quick to subside when she saw that it was just Riku. She relaxed, and tried to make it seem like she had just been reaching for another book to pull back to her. She wasn't panicked anymore, but her expression wasn't friendly or open when she looked at her friend. It wasn't much of anything. It was neutral, and questioning. But she still to reach up and wipe at her face to hide the tears.

Riku looked at the mess. At the two that were now asleep. Thankfully enough, he was quiet when he spoke. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

The distrust that was there…it was an awful feeling. To look at Riku and doubt whether or not she could open up to him, in the fears that he would dismiss her just like he had Sora. How _everyone_ had dismissed him. Did Sora not trust her anymore? What did he feel when he looked at her— was it something like this? It made her want to be ill. "I'm fine," she rasped. Sora shifted in his sleep, and her eyes went straight to him. But he didn't wake up, and she looked back to Riku. "We all are." Her voice was far too even to be believed. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Riku was stung; she could see that. He didn't move from the landing, and his stare adopted a sense of strained awkwardness. There seemed to be a much farther distance between them than there really was. "Goofy told us you got hurt…he said that you just were resting." Kairi glanced down at the ground, and she picked at the wood flooring as some form of distraction. It wasn't a very good one. Riku looked at the mess that had now replaced the makeshift bedroom. It looked like a tornado had come only to make a mess of Merlin's books specifically. "This doesn't look like you're resting…" It was meant to be a joke. It landed rather flat. Most of them did, these days.

Kairi didn't say anything at first. Her eyes stayed on the ground. She felt that frustration build again, and she felt her chest tug and pull with the responsibility of something she knew she might not be able to give. It felt like a pressure was forcing her shoulders down. Like she was running every which way only to slam into a wall. She closed her eyes and knew she couldn't hold back the tears of fright, of confusion, of certainty, of anger. And she shook her head. Her words came out in the tiniest croak. "I need your help," she squeaked, already begging for it.

Riku changed at once. His face fell in concern, and he quickly started forward, treading lightly for the two that were still asleep. He looked at Kairi with a stare filled with worry, and looking at it, she was reminded of all the times he had been the one in charge growing up. He'd been the one to soothe fights or start adventures, or resolve problems, or make sure they were safe. He'd always used to be there, before…well, before _anything_. She always knew that she could go to him and be perfectly fine— that Riku would find a way out of any situation and not give her any grief for her reliance.

She always used to know that, and yet here they were, with _distrust_ between them.

"What do you need, Kairi?" he demanded. With the fretting, his voice was a bit louder. Still, the others were dead to it all. Getting close enough to her, he knelt down on the ground, to try and see her face better. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong?

What _wasn't_?

"I need your help, to help _him_ ," she cried. "I can't do it by myself." She looked down at Sora, barely able to see him through the water smearing her vision. Riku, alarmed, followed her gaze and said nothing. "He's our _friend_. And he suffered for _us_. And he's still suffering. He's _still_ suffering…" She buried her head down in her hands again, if only for a second, to press away as many tears as she could. "You said once that you never apologized for what you did to him before." He froze at the recollection. "And Riku, I don't want this to be another time that we didn't help him. That he had to do it all by himself. Because he can't, he can't, and he shouldn't _have_ to, he…"

She fought to take in an even breath. It was easier said than done. "He think he's crazy— we _made_ him think that way, but I don't think he is!" It was a struggle to keep her voice at a whisper. She looked up and met Riku's gaze, silently screaming at him to hear her and understand. His eyes were nearly tripled their normal size. Yet they were rounded with guilt and sorrow. "I don't think he is, Riku, I think something else is wrong. So does Axel. I don't think he's seeing things." Think. Because with every passing second, she grew less and less sure. "I think something else is wrong, and I can't tell anybody else because they'll just think the same thing about me! I didn't even want to tell you, because I don't want—"

The words fumbled out. She bit down on them, but it was too late.

With the confession, Riku's eyes grew just a little bit more. He sagged backwards, more onto his heels, and the hurt that had been in his expression before seemed to quadruple in weight. Kairi's did as well. For a second, she said nothing. But then she stopped and took in another deep inhale. She closed her eyes briefly, and when they opened again, she was collected. She forced herself to gather up her pieces, and she looked at her friend earnestly. With a simple question in her eyes. It was now or never. She was determined to keep afloat— she had no other choice.

Looking at Riku, the years they had shared together seemed to pass by both of them. The dependence, which was reciprocated on both ends, just in different ways. The hours spent together, the secrets that had been confided. The long summer days, and the long winter nights, and everything in between them. Not just with her— with Sora as well. The three of them had grown up together; rarely, would they ever be seen in the form of anything but a trio. They had been as close as three people could possibly gotten. It felt like lifetimes ago, but it had been _their_ lifetime.

She looked at him without blinking, and willed him to remember what all they had. Willed him to decide whether or not he was willing to throw it away and let it be lost to the wind. And she asked him in a hushed demand: "Do you trust me?" Four simple words that meant far more than he could have possibly prepared for.

He stuttered out his reply. "Of course I do, Kairi…of course I trust you."

She wasn't reassured. She just stared at him and asked another four words. Just a little bit louder this time, so she could stress their importance. "Do you trust _him_?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

"You've _got_ to tell me what's going on," Sora pleaded softly.

Roxas stared at him, in the way someone might look down at a casket at a funeral. "I can't," he replied, and his voice was just as quiet. "I know just as much as you do. I don't know anything else..." They were sitting down in the sand, facing one another. Sora was looking at him in desperation, begging him for anything he possibly had. Things he _didn't_ have. Which had conjured the sorrowful look on his face; he couldn't hide it, not that it would matter if he could. The beach was dark and the air was colder than normal. They were getting whipped around by the wind, and, combining it with the waves that crashed against the shoreline, Sora could hardly hear him.

He wilted at the rejection, as if he hadn't already been expecting it. He ducked his head down, and he curled his legs up close to him. His eyes were like blue pools of misery. "I'm losing it," he breathed out, and Roxas seemed just as fearful. Though he didn't say anything. Sora wouldn't have listened if he had. "I can't do this anymore, Roxas, I can't; I don't even know what I'm doing." The wind began to pick up. In the distance, thunder began to rumble into life. Sora winced away from the sound instinctively. It set his teeth on edge. "I don't know what to do."

"Kairi…you…wasn't." Roxas' words were going in and out of hearing. It was too much other noise— he could hardly be heard above the clamor. Sora looked up at him, and his expression began to crack and waver with his growing panic. It only seemed to make the oncoming storm worsen. Roxas narrowed his eyes against the sand that was stung at his face, and he struggle to raise his voice. The effort didn't seem to make a difference, though. "Listen, I—…not…else!" He frowned, and his head tilted to the side. "Come…have to…"

"I can't even hear you!" he yelled, and his frustration made his voice break into pieces. He closed his eyes tightly, and he reached up to dig his fingers into either sides of his head. "I can't hear what you're saying! I can't hear anything else!" The wind just grew louder. The waves were nearly reaching them, despite the fact that they were a ways up the beach. "Roxas, you've got to help me! You've got to tell me what's going on, I don't know what I'm doing!" He looked at him in despair, already reading the helplessness that was on the other's face. "Are they back?" he demanded. "Is the Organization coming back for me? Can't you tell that?"

Lighting split the sky, and the resounding thunder shook the island. Roxas flinched away from it in surprise, and his eyes narrowed a bit more. "You have to—…don't forget…you…you're not…Organization…"

Though his mouth kept moving, the words were lost on Sora, and the emotions only multiplied. He cringed and hid back down, as if simply looking away from everything else would make it go by easier, or make it disappear entirely. Though by sheer attempt before, he knew it to be false. Still, everything was getting to be too much, and he let out a sharp cry of anger and confusion, that hurt his throat on its way out. "It doesn't make _sense_! _Why_ can't it make any sense!?"

Roxas was buffeted aside by the wind; he was forced to catch himself, and nearly slipped on the sand. He gritted his teeth and tried to right himself, but another gust came by to make it just as difficult.

"Nothing makes any sense anymore! Nothing is _right_ anymore!" Sora kept yelling, too crazed to stop. "I want to go back to the way it was! I want to have kept going in the gully, I want to have kept going with the job that I was supposed to finish! I want to go back before I met Axel, before I met _you_!" Roxas' eyes rounded out with hurt and pity. Sora tensed, and subconsciously began to jerk back and forth, in almost a rocking motion. His breathing was hitched and strained. "I don't want this I don't want this," he stammered. "I don't want it…"

Roxas said nothing. Sora stilled, and when he looked up, he realized with a stab of shock that his Nobody was gone. The beach was empty, and suddenly much darker, and colder. Sora scrambled up to his feet. The only thing he hated worse than being confused was being alone, and he immediately tried to call out for him. "Roxas?" Nothing. Sora skittered, looking back and forth over his shoulder and scanning anywhere for any sign of life. He came up short. "Roxas!?" He shivered, and hugged himself in the effort to try and retain at least the smallest bit of warmth. Thunder clapped again, and in the crash, Sora could have sworn he heard laughter underneath the initial burst. He flinched. " _Roxas!?_ "

"Sora?"

His body went into a spasm of shock, and the jolt caused him Sora to smack his head into the ground. At the sound of his name, and at the sound of the voice so close, he jerked and his eyes snapped open immediately. His pupils were blown wide with fear, and a gasp died in his lungs when he looked up and realized Kairi was knelt down beside him. Her blue eyes were worried when they met his own. But she was also soft with sympathy. When he came back to himself and realized where he was, she tried to offer him a smile. "You okay?" she asked.

He blinked a few times, trying to track down what was happening. He was still on the ground. His side was aching by this point; how long had he been asleep? Groggy and unfocused, just because he hadn't slept this much at one point in ages, he turned and he pushed himself up to sit. He reached up and rubbed at the side of his head, a wince marring his features. "I…I must have…" He turned and he looked down at the floor, and the book that was still propped open there. The pages were a bit more wrinkled than they were probably supposed to be. The last thing he remembered was reading something about maneuvering between running and casting spells; if Merlin were here and if he'd seen this, he'd actually praise Sora for putting forth the effort into magic. Usually for him, it came secondary.

Too bad he would read an entire page and not be able to recall a single thing.

"I must have fallen asleep," he finished a bit ungraciously. He reached up and rubbed at his eyes, trying to shake not only the lingering exhaustion, but also the lingering nerves from what he'd dreamed. He looked up and realized with another, though smaller, jolt that Riku was there now. Axel was sitting against the bed, a book still cracked open in his lap. Though it was clear that most of his attention had drifted from the studying, and he was looking at him instead. His stare was noticeably worried, too. Sora was trying his best not to pay too much attention to the fact. Just like he was trying not to pay too much attention to the instant sting of worry he always felt now when Riku entered his line of vision. He had to take a double-glance, and he had to remind himself of where he was, and more importantly where he was _not_. Who Riku was, and who he was _not._

If Riku noticed his small stutter, which Sora never really knew for sure but always figured he did, he didn't show any sign of it. He just offered him a small smile, which was a little bit reluctant and awkward. "It's good that you got a little bit of sleep," he said. Even the words seemed a little bit too hesitant. It was clear he wasn't sure at all what to say. Sora wilted just the smallest bit himself. He frowned and he glanced down at the ground, before his eyes caught again on the book. They flashed, and, with a tiny frown, he reached out to nudge it away a tad.

Kairi caught the movement and its implication. "It's fine," she murmured, her hands clasping a little bit tighter in her lap. A frown was worrying over her face, when she turned and glanced at all the mess that was still sitting around them. It was even worse than Sora remembered it being before he fell asleep. She must have kept going with Axel. And the fact that she didn't look triumphant at all wasn't very comforting to him. He wasn't surprised, though. The disappointment that welled in his chest was entirely expected when she said: "I don't think we're going to find much of anything…I've skimmed nearly all of them."

"Oh." The singular word was hollow enough to hold water. Sora finished his movement and went ahead to shove the book away a little harder. Not entirely too hidden, that was. Kairi watched, and there was no mistaking the wince that came over her face. Sora tried to forget that too. By this point it was difficult to remember what he _wasn't_ forgetting. "Yeah," he agreed, eyeing the stacks of books strewn here and there. "I figured it was kind of a lost cause." He tried to pass off a laugh, but it was a little too tiny to be taken as one.

"It's not," Kairi was quick to object. She still stayed defensive, apparently refusing to drop the goal. There didn't seem to be a doubt in her mind when she looked at him. "It's not," she repeated, a little harder this time. She turned and glanced back at Riku, who stayed silent. He didn't interrupt, at the very least. "Whatever is happening it must be coming from someone, right? It can only be a spell. It's the only logical explanation." Sora deflated a little bit at the wording, but he didn't object out loud. Thankfully, Kairi wasn't paying mind to his hesitation. "And if it's a spell, then the list of people it's from can't be too long."

Sora was quiet for a heartbeat, before he asked: "So you think it's Maleficent, then?"

Kairi tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I think it's a good possibility." Riku and Axel both turned to exchange a look. The both of them had worked together specifically to be the ones to kill the witch. They'd both done so for Sora's sake, as well as everyone else at Hollow Bastian. Having Kairi optimistic enough to offer it would be her brought up tons of reluctance. First of all, that there was even a 'lead' to begin with. Second of all, that what they themselves had done wasn't enough to kill her. She'd disappeared right in front of their eyes.

"Think about it," Kairi encouraged, pumping determination into her voice like it was helium. "Maleficent has come back before, right? You defeated her once, and then she came right back." Sora rubbed his arm, grimacing a little bit as the injury there pulled. He'd gotten so used to pain recently, he hardly remembered that Axel had burned him in the efforts to snatch his attention back, at Halloweentown. "And she never got what she wanted in the first place from the Organization. They promised her…you, right?" The words were slower, and a little softer. Sora gave a nod, his expression quickly becoming withdrawn. "She was supposed to get you once everything ended, but it didn't. She was angry about that. So…maybe she came back to finish what she thought she should have gotten in the first place. She could be using spells to mess with us. Try to keep us off her trail."

The words were grim. They were met with silence. Sora found with a little bit of painstaking hope that what she was saying was actually making a little bit of sense. And it came with more of a plan than sitting around thumbing through books, and hoping you came across something that wasn't about how to make a cake conjure out of thin air. But he was still clearly not about to latch onto anything too wholeheartedly yet. He just nodded once, slowly. "Okay…" Out of habit, a different kind of habit and a much older one, he looked over at Riku. His friend was staring at Kairi now, which was a good vacation from what it usually was, and he looked thoughtful. He couldn't argue much either. "Then…what do we do?"

She brightened the second that Sora began to follow along, even if it was just this meager amount. She perked and sat up straighter, and offered an encouraging beam. "We've got to find her!" she declared. Axel heaved a sigh at her gusto. "We need to track her down. Riku has been saying all along we have to find the source, right? Him and Leon? Maybe this is it. Maybe _she's_ the source— in charge of all these Heartless. If we deal with her, then everything else could fall into place."

"Should we tell the others, then?" Axel prompted. Her smile dropped when she turned and looked at him. He shrugged a shoulder. It didn't exactly matter to him. The person he cared most for was already in this room. Frank as it was, they weren't anywhere near his priority list. "If we find her, we don't want to find ourselves outnumbered. Which we already kind of are, with how many stupid Heartless are crawling around." He was gradually recovering from the silence and the uncharacteristic somberness than what he'd been left with, returning back to Merlin's. Only gradually, though. There was still the faintest sense of discomfort when he looked at Sora, and those doubtful blue eyes.

Kairi's hands wrung together again. She bit down on her lower lip, and paused. Her eyes crowded with thought. After a heartbeat, glancing from Riku to Sora, she shifted with a trace of unease. "I don't think we should," she murmured. It was all the same to Axel, though Riku seemed a little surprised. Sora was merely an audience member, at the moment. She rushed to defend herself. "It's just…I want it to be just us. For now," she tried, though it was pretty weak. "Until we know for sure…I don't want anyone else telling me that I'm wrong, or…or messing things up like Goofy did. What if it spreads? What if…everyone starts seeing things and then it gets too confusing? What if we wouldn't be able to tell what's what anymore?"

Riku eyed her, but he wasn't inclined to fight anymore. It seemed like they'd been doing far too much of that, recently. "You sure?" he asked in a mumble. "You don't want their help?" Because they could certainly give quite a lot of it, he was sure. More numbers was never wrong. At the same time, Aerith would likely try and stop them from letting Sora about. Yuffie might worry over him too— though she tried to hide it, it always managed to slip through. He was already worrying about hiding his own worry; handling more already sounded exhausting.

"I don't think we should," she pressed. "I think we should wait until it's all clear. Until there's no denying it, and there's no more room for people to argue. I don't think we should take any more doubt. I don't…I can't explain what happened with Goofy. And I don't like that. If that hadn't happened, it would be so much simpler…" Sora couldn't take any more doubt, was a better thing to say, but she wasn't about to at all. She was already having so much difficulty stringing him along already, from the small taste of betrayal they'd given him earlier. The seed of worry for his own mentality had been planted, and it was already growing fast. They didn't need any more water for it.

There was a more selfish reason, of course. There were probably more selfish reasons than there were practical ones. Her shoulders drooped, and she gave up a little bit as she looked at each person in the room. "I want it to be just us," she confessed, and this time the meaning was more upfront. "I don't want anyone else with us. Yet." She turned and looked at Sora, and her smile was gentler. It could be better, if it was them three, together again. Along with Axel, but still. Maybe that could help in itself for a little bit.

Riku paused. He debated arguing. But he gave in as soon as Sora brought himself to return Kairi's smile, genuinely this time. Screw his soft spot for him, which had gotten about a million times softer with everything that had happened. "Okay," he agreed. "So we can go out tonight." The other three looked to him at the directions. "They don't go out at night. We can slip out, find proof, and then come back. Right? That way nobody can stop us, and by the time we come back, they won't have to. They won't be _able_ to argue." He paused. And because there was still that doubt there, even after Kairi had explained to him what had happened and how it could be connected, he added: "And if we can't find proof," he ignored Kairi's immediate glare, "then we figure something else out. Either way, we're not going to keep with what's happening." Kairi had told him about Sora's episode. The thought of him suffering in panic any longer without help turned his stomach.

"We could go down to that castle she stayed in before," Axel offered. "Maybe old habits die hard."

"It's a start," Kairi agreed. She turned to Sora and raised her eyebrows. "What do you think? Sora?"

He held her gaze for just a second before he looked down, distracting himself by dragging books together in neater arrangement. Something that didn't matter at all. "Yeah," he replied. "That sounds fine." Feeling like it wasn't enough but not really knowing what else it needed, he just repeated her. "It's a start."

Her face fell. But she nodded. She recovered and turned back to the others, and pushed herself up to her feet. "Then it's decided!" Her hands clapped together. "We're going to figure this out." Her eyes were beginning to liven again with fresh hope and confidence. It almost might have been contagious, had she had literally any other audience in front of her. Sora didn't look up from the ground, and Axel just shut his book, his expression still a little heavier than normal. Realizing the two might need a second she closed her eyes for two seconds before redirecting to Riku. "Could you help me put some of these books away?" she asked.

It wasn't much of a break, but all the same. Riku flashed one last look at Sora before he stood and he walked away a bit with Kairi. They went back to the bookshelf to clean up the ones nearest to that. Sora continued to stare down at the book he was now pointlessly holding. He hadn't even known the title of it, now that he realized it. "Hey." He blinked and looked up at Axel's hushed voice. His friend was entirely different now, looking at him with sorrow and regret so deep Sora was almost surprised enough to drop the book. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I didn't…I just didn't want you to get hurt, and that wasn't the right way to do it, I…I'm sorry."

Sora reflected on the apology. He tried to offer him a smile. He hoped it looked better than it felt. "Don't apologize," he reassured. "I know. You never want me to get hurt; that's why you've done basically everything so far." It could be taken as a joke, but it also couldn't. Axel looked at him closely, and he shrugged for him. "You're the reason I'm okay now." He was the reason he was alive to begin with— out of the Organization's castle. "And besides," he added, in more of a grumble. "We don't know you weren't right."

"I wasn't." The reply was too quick. "At least…I don't think," Axel whispered. Guilt clogged his voice. "I wasn't thinking when I said what I did…back there, I was just too worried and tired and…we don't know I was right, Sora. I can't explain the Goofy thing either. Kairi has a point. It could be something else. It could make sense."

"But you don't believe that a hundred percent," Sora pointed out.

He couldn't lie. "No," he murmured. "I can't. But…maybe it's just because I don't want to."

Was that wrong? Selfish?

Sora smiled again. Sadder this time. And when he looked at Axel and spoke next, his voice was choked, and the smallest bit frightened. His eyes began to burn. "I had a dream about Roxas just now," he confessed. Immediately, Axel paled. "He was saying things I couldn't figure out either. He sounded weird…" Just like what Axel had been said to have. The Nobody said nothing, but the look on his face was enough. And why wouldn't he be doubtful? Sora didn't even believe it, and it was about him. Roxas hadn't made any sense to him; what if he was just making no sense to Axel, either? In fact, even before all this, Roxas had been the one to encourage Sora to leave Merlin's house. He'd told him to remember what was _really_ important. Only to have him end up here.

What Axel saw could be explained. What Sora saw was just a ghost.

Sora's lips wavered, but they stayed where they were, now twisted up in this watering grin that seemed far too wrong to even exist. He scoffed out a laugh that really sounded more like a sob, and the smile turned rueful when he turned and slammed the book down with the others. He shook his head, and bit down on that regret. On that hope dying before it was even allowed the chance to take its first breath in.

"I wouldn't give up on your theory just yet," he growled.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: I really can't communicate my gratitude to you guys enough that you stayed, and there was such an outpour of support for this story! I really haven't felt this excited to write in a while, and that's truly a wonderful thing to be able to have back after so long. It means more to me than any of you would know. I loved hearing from all of you, and I hope you liked this chapter too! I'm very very very very _very_ excited to write the next chapter! I have something wild planned! I hope I can get it out before school starts to catch up with me again.

Thank you for your patience, really, from the bottom of my heart. Some of these reviews were so sweet, and looking at them altogether too, they made me all teary-eyed! I'm very glad I can be here to write for you all. I hope you're excited to see what comes next! Please excuse any typos. For some reason I have the habit now of staying up until midnight typing with work the next day, so.

But, hey, look at me! Regularized updating, _that's_ weird, _huh_!?


	14. Chapter 14

He wasn't sure what time it was. He didn't think it really mattered. He didn't think it had mattered before now, but then again he wasn't sure. All he knew was that it was dark, and it was difficult to see more than a few feet in front of him without having to strain. The dimness caused his steps to hitch and fumble, and a couple times he ended up stumbling too hard and crashing down to the ground. Each time, though, he shoved himself back up to his feet and broke into the same run again.

It was still storming, too. The wind made his balance off-kilter, and pinpricks of pain stabbed at his face from the sand that flung back. He had to clamp his mouth closed, and he had to try and rely as much as he could on instinct, so he could do the same with his eyes. Even his hood wasn't doing much. His running was clumsy and awkward and a mess, and above all it only added a layer of frustration over his mounting fear and concern. But he was almost there. Almost— at least, he hoped.

He raced up the shoreline, trying his best not to resemble someone who was attempting to run on butter. Though if the mood would demand it, he was sure he'd do a fairly decent job. Trying to bite back that irritation, that anger, that fear that he could feel brewing in his gut, Roxas tried to focus instead. He pried his eyes open little by little, reaching the point he had been searching for, and hoping desperately that it was not in vain. With everything established, he was almost positive it would be; because that was the way life was handing things to them recently.

The small place was tucked away and hidden. That was, in short, its entire point of _being_. It was cramped and claustrophobic in some places, and it was cold and damp in the places that weren't. But it was shelter at the very least, and Roxas dove for it as fast as he could. The Secret Place provided relief from the storm— from the rain and wind and sand and thunder. Ducking down into the safety, Roxas was able to let out a breath he'd been holding, and he tried to shake himself off. A small groan of irritation wormed its way free at the sheer amount of sand that refused to budge. "Hey, look, it's an island now," he cheered under his breath, sarcasm thick on each syllable. "Ya-a-a-a-y, it's an isla-a-a-nd!"

His scrubbing completely worthless, the sand was stubborn and sticking to him like glue. He sighed and abandoned the project, deciding that he would just have to deal with the minor inconvenience to deal with the bigger one. Which was something he'd been doing a lot lately. He turned and he felt along the wall of the cave, finding it was darker in here than it was outside. He walked a little blind, and again his balance was anything but admirable. "Hello?" he called, hoping against hope that all of this wouldn't be for nothing. It was difficult to tell— even before now it was difficult. There was no anticipating where she would be, or where he would be. When they would wind up being in the same spot.

It wasn't nothing. But at the same time it wasn't really anything to _rely_ on.

He hoped she would be here; he was simply acting on a feeling she would be. A tug that pulled him along and pushed him down to the small cavern. It hardly ever steered him wrong before. And sure enough, when he emerged into the clearing, she was sitting right where he thought she would be. On the ground with her legs crossed, she was sitting and studying one of the tiny drawings engraved into cave's wall. A hand was raised to rest lightly on the rock. Her blue eyes were crowded with thought, and at first Roxas thought she might have not heard him at all, she was so distracted. He began to open his mouth and call again, just in case.

But when he came out into the open, she turned, and the smile was already there on her face to show she'd known. Despite everything, Roxas found his own lips were twitching upwards as well. "Roxas!" The joy was always there, when they came into contact. When she was not lost in memories, or out of his reach. When they could be together again. Though the light did die quickly in her eyes as she looked at the mess that Roxas was. All of the sand, his disheveled clothes, and the way his hair looked after being out in the torrent. Instead a frown came over her features. It was almost something akin to disappointment. "Is it still bad?" she asked quietly. "Out there?"

He wilted. He thought about lying to her, but there wasn't a point. He took the rest of the steps it took to meet her where she sat, and he followed her lead. Without thinking, he pulled his knees tightly to his chest and locked his hands around his ankles to keep them there. She did not mistake the position, and she looked at him gravely for a moment of silence. But she just turned back to the painting on the wall. From his knees, though he kept his gaze aimed ahead, Roxas began to ask: "Have you seen—?"

"No." She didn't allow him to finish. The rejection was soft, but the emotion that was underlying it was unmistakable. "I haven't."

He said nothing. His eyes just flashed, and he tucked a little tighter into himself.

Xion took her arm away from the scratchings. Now that her hand was gone, Roxas could see it too, and a small sigh leaked from his nose. Xion glanced at him, and tried to offer a smile. "This is my favorite drawing," she informed him. The sound of the wind could be heard through the walls of the Secret Place. The rain was incessant, and the thunder seemed a bit too loud, just like the waves did. Thundering, lightning— why did it have to be that? _Why_ that? The storm clouds had gathered and they had refused to let up since then— why the storm?

But he _knew_ why.

"Of course it's your favorite," he replied. "It's _his_ favorite."

Xion just smiled a bit wider. "It's my favorite memory, too," she pressed. "Or one of them, at least. I suppose that means it's one of his favorites too." She looked at the two faces, a little crudely drawn on both parts. It was dull and weathered with age. It had been here for some time. She grinned and reached up to gently trace the part of the engraving that was just a little bit newer. It was just a little bit brighter than the rest of it— a testament to the fact that its addition had been recent. It had not been drawn originally, when the two children had declared they could draw the other better, years upon years ago.

The small addition of the arm and the paopu fruit was fresher. She traced along it with a degree of care. From its beginning, all the way up to the end of the fruit, where it was extended towards the girl. In the hopes that she'd take it. In the hopes that they could be together forever, until the end of time or whatever came before. Xion's smile turned sad. Her face fell, as did her arm, and she gathered a little closer to herself, not unlike the way Roxas already had. "That memory used to be so easy to recall. To find," she said quietly. Roxas tore his eyes away from the rock back to her. "It's not anymore. It's buried. Most of them are. The time he went camping with Riku, and spent the night looking at the stars. The time the three of them tried sailing for the first time, and Kairi had to fish him out of the water. All of the happy ones. I can't reach them like I used to."

Roxas was silent. Another clap of thunder came.

Xion shook her head. "I reach for a memory…and all I get is…" Her eyes were hollow and haunted. He watched with growing unease as fear clawed its way over her face. As, for a moment, she was gripped with panic from something he could not see. She had to close her eyes, and take a deep breath. It shook a little bit on its way down, and when she looked back at Roxas, he could still see those shadows, those ghosts. "Sometimes it's all I can reach," she continued, weaker now. "It's like a wall that…I can't get around. A barrier to anything…happy."

Still, Roxas was quiet. He looked at the ground, which had long since grown damp just from him sitting on it. For a moment only that quiet existed between them. He sighed, and though it was barely there in the first place, it alone was enough to shatter it. "I tried to tell him," he pointed out. He sounded tired. "I told him that he needed to remember what was most important, and to take care of that first." His stare was pained when he looked back at the drawing. "I don't think he understood. He thought I meant he should leave and help the other worlds. But that's not what's most _important_. I meant _him. He's_ what's most important— him and Kairi, and Axel, and Riku…"

"He's so giving," she relented. "He's thoughtless when it comes to anything else, sometimes. Not that it's your fault." Xion shook his head. "I'm not sure he knows what else to do anymore. And with…everything that's happened— it's like his entire world is crumbling out from under him. Up is suddenly down, and down is suddenly up. For ages he's been the fearless, carefree keyblade bearer, who juggled everyone else's problems. Now he can't even help himself." Her expression was sympathetic when she turned and looked towards the sound of the storm. "He can't come to terms with any of it. Any of what's happened, and any of what's happening. But…" She looked at Roxas, and a million things seemed to pass between them at once. "I think we should be the very last people to judge him for that," she whispered.

His face fell. "That's not all that's wrong, though," he tried. It wasn't a full rejection, but for some reason, Roxas was itching for any sort of defense for him. Surely…it couldn't be all because of Sora, could it? "All the Heartless, all the weird things going on. That's not— it can't be…?"

Xion offered him a smile that came out rather sad. "You have doubts because _he_ does."

"I would have doubts anyway," he retorted, confident in the fact. "Wouldn't you?"

She blinked slowly. But after a moment's hesitation, she nodded once.

"There's other things wrong in this picture," Roxas pressed. "That means there are _solutions_."

Xion smiled that sad grin again. "You should tell that to Sora," she offered.

"I _tried_ ," he sighed. "I don't think it worked, though. He couldn't hear me, over..."

Xion nodded. She seemed distracted now. She turned and went back to running her hand up along the stone, and Roxas took to simply watching her. His eyebrows pulled together in something close to discomfort. The thing they had been avoiding – the topic they had refused to address – was sitting between them like the plague; they were trying not to catch it by refusing to even breathe. But it had to be done; they both were well aware of that fact. Still, his face was written over with regret when he drove himself to do so. "Axel…" It was all he could weasel out. But it could be argued that was all that was needed.

Her eyes flashed. She was quiet, and for a second Roxas was inclined to believe she would ignore him. But her expression welled with emotion, and she tucked her legs a little bit tighter to herself. Her shoulders curled inwards. Her voice was significantly softer and weaker when she spoke. It was filled with something like hope. A worn and deflated hope. But hope all the same. "He remembered me," she stated. Three simple words that were _far_ from it in any sense.

Roxas wilted. He reached up to rub at his neck.

Xion tore her gaze from the wall so that she could look at him earnestly. "He _knew_ me. He knew who I was."

It brought back memories of sea-salt ice cream. Of a clock tower, and of sunsets, and of afternoons spent making fun of the other Organization members and laughing. It brought back memories of missions, of fun, of times that were much simpler even though they weren't in actuality. It brought back times that, sometimes, in some ways, Roxas wished he could go back to. It brought a heavy and hollow feeling to his chest. But it wasn't a fond ache at all. It was one of trepidation. Of fear. "Yeah," he agreed in a rasp. "He did. He _has_ …I think. This wasn't the first time." When _was_ the first time? Could it…? Could it have been...?

"And he said that he saw me, too. That he saw me…" He looked back at his friend. And though it hurt to do so, he forced it out. "Xion…I don't think that's a good thing. Neither of those things...neither of them can be good."

She stared at him. At first it looked like she might argue. There was an indignant light growing in the back of her gaze, and her posture grew just a bit stiffer. Roxas wouldn't find fault in her if she did react harshly. He could tell how much it hurt her, to be forgotten and left behind by everyone. Even he had forgotten her before he had returned to Sora, and they had fit back together like puzzle pieces. Roxas himself grew angry and saddened from time to time, thinking of the fact he could not be out in the real world he were wanted to be. That he could not be his own person, and he was just a small part of something else. The thought of Axel not remembering him on _top of_ all of that was enough to make him sick. Yet it was reality that Xion lived every day.

So he waited for the outburst that was likely to come. He guarded himself against it, knowing he would do nothing but listen and be a shoulder to her, but the outburst surprisingly didn't come. Instead Xion wilted, and she looked back down at the ground. She deflated like a balloon, and the hope that was barely there went away. It hadn't even had time to grow. "I know," she sighed. "It's probably not." The admission was a truthful one, but he could see the pain it caused. Thankfully she came to terms with it quickly, and she glanced back at him. "We have to fix it. Somehow."

He made a face. " _We_ can't do anything," he rejected. "It's _Sora_ that has to do something. Sora has to fix this— he's the only one that can."

Xion searched his face. Their eyes clashed, identical in color and in intensity. She was still for the longest time, before she shook her head. "How do you know?"

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

The mood in the house was somber. Or maybe it was tense, or maybe it was stressed, or maybe it was just sad. There were probably many words anyone could pick to describe the tension in the air, and they would be more or less accurate in some way shape or form. They were waiting— they had _been_ waiting for ages; ever since this whole thing had _begun,_ everyone had been waiting. So, in a sense, it wasn't all that entirely different. But it _was_ different, because at least now they were waiting for something they could actually define. As the hours passed and it grew darker outside – and the dark was gathering quickly – their deadline was crawling closer and closer. Their hopes of getting out and finding an answer to this riddle was getting closer.

Kairi and Axel stood near the door; every so often their worries would drive either one of them to inch it open so that they could lean out and maybe see what was going on. Riku had been fetched by Goofy earlier; the others had run into trouble in the town, and they had practically begged for his backup. They had not asked Axel or Kairi to come along, which proved the theory that Kairi had begun to draft in her mind: they were already beginning to classify them with Sora. Under the category of too strung-out to provide any kind of help. Neither of the two were going to complain, though. Not at all. In fact, had they been asked, they would have done the opposite of Riku and they would have openly refused.

So it left them to here— waiting for the others to return, and then waiting for them to leave from there, so that they could slip out with Riku and head for the castle that Maleficent had used to reside in. It spurred the tension and the anxiety, though they tried to hide it as best they could. Especially with Aerith still in the house. Kairi was chewing on her fingernails and messing with her hair. Sporadic, she would tap the toe of her shoe against the ground, and Axel tried to ignore the noise that came out a little too irritating. He just leaned against the wall beside her, juggling a small flame from one finger to the other, or trying to distract himself by digging out some old recipe he once knew but was now lost to the recesses of his mind.

Neither spoke for ages. Whether it was because they didn't wish to talk, or they just didn't know how to break the silence, it wasn't really all that clear. For the longest time, though, they just stood and waited underneath that weight of worry and apprehension for what was going to happen next. _Whatever_ would happen next, because they couldn't be sure at all. However, they didn't have to speak to be able to communicate the singular point of interest that served as the primary source for their worry. It was already fairly clear, but it presented itself more obviously in the glances they shot to the other end of the house, and the concern that rested in both of their stares.

Sora was sitting down by the fireplace, cross-legged with his head resting down on his hands. Aerith was sitting across from him just as neatly, and between the pair sat a checker board. They had started the game earlier, when Aerith had noticed that the three had been serving as beacons of worry. She'd offered any one of them to play, that wide grin on her face, and her eyes bright with hope, and her grin had only widened to a beam when Sora had been the one to actually accept. Clearly she was still over the moon with his relent. Despite the fact that Sora was mostly silent and listening to her chatter on about things that were rather trivial, _and_ despite the fact it looked like she was losing, she was radiating happiness.

For ages now, she'd been doing her best to reach out to Sora. In all the ways a person could humanly think, she had been trying to clear away the dark cloud that hung over him. From A to Z, she had done everything from making him sweets to trying to distract him with poorly-edited reality shows. The matters were only made worse, and her all the more desperate, when Merlin had up and left without a single word, and just left her to fend for herself when it came to healing her friend. So the smallest indication Sora gave in being peaceful, like right now, made her absolutely ecstatic. She would accept her efforts paying off in any way she could, so she continued to prattle on, and to smile when Sora reached over and jumped one of her last pieces.

Kairi had been glancing their way more than Axel had. She was just closing the door again, her eyes raw with worry and impatience when she realized that Riku was not heading back yet. Though as she turned and looked back towards Sora, they softened over immediately. Aerith was saying something, in a voice far too quiet to hear from where they stood. Whatever it was, Sora gave her a little smile of his own, and he mumbled something back. Aerith jumped one of his players, and he mumbled something again, which made her laugh. Kairi watched them for a moment more before she turned back. She hugged herself, as if she was cold, and her eyes flickered down to the ground. Finally she broke the silence between them, if the phrase was even accurate. Her voice was a low murmur— even Axel had a hard time hearing, and he was less than a yard away. "Do you think he's getting better?" she whispered. "Do you think…he _is_ better? From when…?"

Immediately, he didn't like the question. But it didn't seem like he could avoid it all that well. Axel looked at the two again, in time to see Sora's smile drop once Aerith looked back at the board. It wasn't into a frown, or an expression that was sorrowful. It was just…neutral, in a way. Blank and a little at a loss of what else to be. It wasn't anything horrible, but it wasn't anything _Sora_. He tried to digest her question. Did she mean from when he'd been hurt, recovering here? Or did she mean from when he had been held captive?

The last word made his skin crawl. He quickly left it behind him and spoke up. "I don't know," he sighed. He tore his gaze away before they could notice he was staring. He edged the door open to look out again, knowing he would find nothing there, but needing a distraction anyway. If they were really quiet, and the house was pretty dead as it was, they could still hear the sounds of fighting way off in the distance. It wasn't _all_ that comforting a noise, but at least it probably meant nobody had died. Fingers crossed. "I don't think so," he added after some hesitation. She roused, not having anticipated hearing any more. "But…I don't think you can blame him for it."

Kairi was saddened by the answer, but not at all surprised by it. It wasn't what she wanted to hear at all, but she didn't really have a say in the matter. Her eyes trained down on her hands, which wrung together in front of her. She leaned back a little heavily against the walk. "It's just so sad," she breathed. Axel nodded, even without knowing exactly what she was indicating. He didn't really need to, though. "It seems like whenever we try to _fix_ something, something _else_ comes back to break it all down again." She closed her eyes. Her shoulders slackened. "I really wish I could fix everything for him…that's all I want…"

Her voice was noticeably strained and weaker when she said this. It struck a different kind of chord, and Axel turned to look at her. She'd opened her eyes again, and now she was looking back over at Sora with an unbearable amount of pain. Sora, oblivious, smiled that barely-there smile to Aerith and moved his checker piece again. Axel glanced between the two, and his mind buffered. He cleared his throat, and stared at the floor again. It was easier to make eye contact with that than anything else. "I wish I could too," he offered. "I'm…part of the reason it's come to this…I think. If I could take it all back, I would."

She didn't seem satisfied at that, and he wasn't shocked or put-off at all. He almost anticipated it. So his voice was just as even when he continued. "But I guess…it's a little different for you."

He waited for a sharp reaction of anger, or at least embarrassment. A sharp: "What's it to you?" or maybe an "It's none of your business." She did certainly turn her gaze on him, and he did notice the small tinge of blush smattering her cheeks. She tucked a bit more into herself, and she seemed reluctant to speak. But there was something in the very back of her gaze that sparked to life, and seem to draw her forward. Awkwardness was the new tension to spring between them, now. She and Axel weren't _close_ in _any_ kind of sense. They had never confided in each other before; they had never been there for one another when it wasn't absolutely critical.

But maybe there wasn't a real reason for that. He remembered what he'd said before to her, on the shores of her island. That they were the same— they had both lost someone they cared about. It hadn't been a lie then, and it wasn't a lie now. It was even _truer_ now. He remembered how Kairi had approached him when they'd thought they'd lost Sora, and she'd begged him to tell her how he moved on from Roxas. No, they weren't close. But there _was_ a connection there; he could see it in the way she stared at him— he could see the same memories swimming in her eyes, and he could see the same thoughts constructing there.

The defense she'd attempted to conjure dropped, and the blush drained from her face. She turned back to Sora, and now she was openly remorseful. "Yes…it is," she murmured. "I…" She backtracked on whatever she might have begun to say. She didn't _know_ how to say it. She fiddled with her hair, trying to fix it, but just making it worse. "I just wish I could see him smile again…really, really _mean_ it. I wish we could go back to the island and just…be _happy_ …"

The last word was dropped from the sentence, but Axel filled in the blank without too much difficulty.

"He probably wants the same thing," he reassured. He'd never been the best at this type of stuff. Not even with _himself_. According to Roxas, who had disclosed the information not without about five minutes of snickering, Larxene used to flirt with him day and night. He was none the wiser. But that was a little bit more coded. This here…anyone that _didn't_ know about what was between Sora and Kairi was living under a rock. Heck, Axel even knew that _before_ this; the only reason Xemnas had him kidnap her in the first place was to use her as leverage against him. "Blame it on the timing?" he suggested, to which Kairi looked at him with the slightest shade of frustration. "So…it's not…?" Yikes. He tried to start over. "I would have thought the two of you would have—"

"Me too." Oh, thank goodness, Kairi interrupted him. Her words were soft; not barbed or harsh in any way. "I thought…you know, at least back when we thought everything was done. He wasn't back to his old self, but he was…at least he wasn't as upset. He was getting better, because…because he had the _chance_ to," her voice broke just a little bit on that. She had to take in a deeper breath, and she tried to clear her head. "I told him…I was happy to have him back, and I was happy he was safe, but…I told him…most importantly I told him that I…" It died, and she just shrugged in place of it. Axel weakened with sympathy. "He said the same. I thought everything would be perfect after that. I…but…once all this started…" She frowned. She looked down at the floor. "We haven't talked about it since. It's like it never happened."

"Oh…" That was enough to surprise him. It didn't seem like Sora at all. After all this time, and after finally getting back to her with the both of them in one piece, Axel would have thought the opposite to be true. But then again… "It's not because of you. I promise," he offered. Kairi frowned and looked at him with a dubious stare. It clicked for him in that moment— all the times she'd tried to hang back and stay with Sora, and all the times she'd tried to claim she'd be no help on the battlefield. She must have thought she had been doing all the wrong things, and maybe that was why there was suddenly nothing. And, really, why shouldn't she have? But he shook his head. "The day Sora gets mad at you is the day I watch an episode of that stupid Bachelor show with Aerith and _like_ it," he dismissed.

Kairi cracked a grin at this, and a small giggle escaped her lips. She shook her head. "It's not that bad a show," she whispered, still keeping her voice down.

"It's absolutely horrible." Axel dismissed that, too. She laughed again. He noticed her stand up a little straighter again, and her shoulders right themselves back into place. The smiled lingered on her face, and her expression was much friendlier when she looked at him. He grinned back at her. Though his next statement was level, and it was in a much more serious tone. "He needs you." The somberness registered to her, and her smile faded to be replaced with a similar expression. She glanced back at him, and again, her hands rubbed together in apprehension. "Whether he knows it or not. What you did with the…when you told him it wasn't his fault. What he saw. When you didn't let him think otherwise— that's what he needs." Regret clogged his gaze like weeds. "I didn't give him that. And neither did Riku." He shook his head. "So that's exactly what he needs, Kairi. You."

She melted with gratitude. Her smile warmed, and when she began to open her mouth, he knew it was probably to gush out some long-winded thank-you. Before she could, though, the door suddenly burst open between them. The party they had been waiting for for the last few hours ran inside, panic and fear alive on each and every one of their faces. Riku was at the head of the group, and Axel did not mistake the fact that he immediately whirled to look around for Sora. And even when his eyes did land on his friend, he wasn't the slightest bit reassured.

Kairi yelped with surprise, stumbling backwards to avoid getting crashed into by Yuffie. The ninja was the quickest in behind Riku, and once inside, she immediately collapsed to the floor. Her breathing was nothing more than frantic gasps that were punctured every so often with pain. Leon was instantly falling down to her side; his eyes were filled with worry and concern. He wasted no time before he started to rifle for a potion of some kind. Goofy and Donald came in last, behind Cid, and Goofy whirled around to slam the door closed behind them all. It all lasted no more than three seconds in total.

Sora and Aerith had both snapped to attention, forgetting their checker game entirely. In stark comparison to what his reaction would be typically, Sora followed Aerith's lead instead and paled over with confusion and anxiety. He didn't spring to his feet and rush over to his friends; he stayed frozen where he was. Kairi, on the other hand, made up for it. Before she even knew what was happening, Kairi began to stumble backwards and edge her way backwards to him.

Axel flared with alarm at the group that was now fighting to get their air back. "What happened!?" After finally fishing out a healing salve, Leon administered it to Yuffie, who slowly began to struggle to all fours. He looked around, but most of the same result was there to stare him in the face. They all looked completely exhausted; now that he'd shut the door, Goofy was sagging down to the floor in a heap. Donald was bending over so far at the waist he was nearly on his head. Even Cid, who was usually the last person to make themselves seem anything but unaffected, was stumbling on his feet. He looked back at Goofy, still sitting against the door. His eyes narrowed. "Something went wrong. What went wrong? Did you do it?"

" _No_!" He jerked backwards when Yuffie met the questions with a shriek. It cracked with anger and frustration, and it communicated everything that needed to be communicated. She pushed herself back to fall heavily into a sitting position. Leon had to reach over and steady her; despite the effects of the healing potion, she still swayed from side to side, and even though her more severe injuries stopped bleeding as much, they were still present as painful scrapes and cuts. She ignored Leon's presence for the moment and glared down at the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes and they didn't waste any time at all before they leaked over her cheeks. "We _didn't_ ," she spat.

Terror caused a chill to rush down Kairi's spine. She looked to Riku, alarm and confusion mingling so much in her stare it was hard to tell which was more dominant. She had too many questions to ask at once. What happened? Was anyone else hurt? How was the town? More importantly, and maybe a little more selfishly, what did that mean for _them_? Riku met her perplexed expression, and he glanced again at Sora. He was staring at him just as wide-eyed. He said nothing, but looking at the both of them, he offered the tiniest shake of his head.

It didn't do much in terms of explanation, but explanation couldn't be given very well in the middle of it all. So, holding Riku's stare with a degree of desperation, she asked: "What happened?"

Yuffie closed her eyes. She curled up tighter, and she didn't say anything.

Leon saved her from having to do so. But his head ducked low underneath the weight of the message he had to carry. "There were too many," he reported, his voice wearied and flat. Kairi's face fell. Sora drew backwards, sorrow and surprise coming hand-in-hand over his face. "Way too many…even when Riku came to help, it didn't…" He shook his head and closed his eyes. "No matter how many we killed, others would just come along to replace them. It never ended."

Donald leaned back against the wall. He shook his head, and with the way it made him sway, Kairi was almost concerned he'd fall over. "I've never _seen_ so many Heartless in one place!" he growled. "It was _insane_!"

Guilt began to pierce its way through Kairi's initial armor. "So…they're still out there?" she asked. "They're still—?"

Yuffie whirled around to look at her, and the pure anger that was there caused Kairi to take another step backwards. "You should have _been there_!" she shouted, her voice sharp enough to break through skin. Cold shock hit the redhead at the sudden accusation, and it rendered her mute. Her expression fell and she just stared down at her blankly, like someone would a math problem they couldn't solve. She was glaring daggers up at her now, not a single inch of the friendship they had come to foster recently was there. Instead, she could practically feel the waves of fury roll off her. "You should have been there helping us, but you were _here_ instead, doing _nothing_!"

Leon reached out to hold her shoulders. "Yuffie." Her name was saturated with warning.

She shrugged him off, not breaking her eye contact with Kairi. "People are _dead_!" she all but screamed. Tears rushed faster down her face, and Kairi still did not move a single muscle. "Because we couldn't help them, because we were outnumbered! People _died_ , because we couldn't help them! Because you decided you were going to stay back! Do you remember that little kid that stopped you in the store? Him and his _entire_ family— they were _slaughtered_! They were all dead when we found them!"

Kairi struggled to overcome the blow of shock and get something out. She struggled to get _anything_ out. "I— that's not fair, I— I didn't—"

Yuffie shook Leon the rest of the way off of her. She shoved herself up to her feet, so that she could be level with the other. She moved far too quickly, and she stumbled, nearly collapsing right back to where she'd been before. Kairi reached out, and she started to grab hold of her hands to make sure she didn't. But Yuffie snatched them away before she could, and only seemed to multiply in rage. By the look she was receiving alone, Kairi knew not to interrupt. "You should have been helping! That's your _job_ ; it's _all of our jobs_! Do you even _care_ that there are people dead!? People that I knew!? Some of my _friends_!?"

"O-Of course I do!" Kairi stammered. "I didn't—"

"You were given the keyblade for a reason; you were supposed to use it to _help_ us!" Yuffie screeched. "But ever since you've gotten it, all you've done is drag your feet, and make things worse! We _needed_ you, and every time we needed you, you weren't there! You were worried about _him_!" Sora went rigid when she jabbed a finger over in his direction. "This _entire_ time you've only been worried about him, you and Axel! So you _don't_ care, _do_ you!?" Kairi's own eyes were tearing by now, but she could not decide whether it was out of sorrow, or her own growing revulsion. "You don't care about anyone but yourself and what you want! We saved you from the Organization, we gave you shelter in this town, and _what_ do we _get_!?"

"Yuffie!" Leon was standing now. He grabbed her wrist, to try and pull her back, and she smacked his hand away.

"'I don't _want_ to go out and fight! I want to stay back and do nothing!'" Yuffie mimicked cruelly. Kairi glared at her, and attempted to keep her lip from trembling. "Are you happy now!? You dragged your feet and refused to help, and you let it get this bad, and now the town is dying! Now the Heartless are too strong, and we can't do a single thing about them, are you happy now, Kairi!? Is this what you wanted!? Is it all you _hoped_ for!?"

"No!" Kairi yelled. Her hands curled at her sides. "This isn't my _fault_ , I never _once_ —"

"Whose fault is it, then!?" Yuffie demanded.

"It's _nobody's_ , nobody—"

"You could have done more! You and Axel! You always stayed behind, the two of you never cared about anyone but—"

"Hang on a second!" Axel yelled, barging forward to wrench his way between the two girls. He scowled at Yuffie, practically daring her to continue. His voice was dangerously controlled when he spoke to her. "I'd slow down if I were you, Yuffie," he growled. "Because it's starting to sound like you're trying to blame us for being concerned about a friend. And that _really_ doesn't seem all that logical, now does it?" he asked. It was clear that the last thing he wanted to do was give her slack. However, thanks to the weeks of closeness they _had_ shared, his next few words came across as softer, and more allowing. "And it really doesn't _sound_ like you, either, Yuffie."

"Don't you go pretending you're all high and mighty," Yuffie spat. Axel's gaze hardened again, and the brief extension of friendliness evaporated. "Because you know what, you're worse than _her_. That's why you're all buddy-buddy all of a sudden, isn't it?" She looked between the two as if it was the last thing she wanted to do, and Kairi and Axel both sharpened defensively. " _You're_ the reason this whole thing is even happening in the _first_ place. _You_ were one of the people that started this whole thing. You can't even _pretend_ to be innocent here. It was _you_ that distracted me in the gully; it was _you_ who made sure Sora wouldn't have anyone to come and help him when he needed them."

Leon looked like he wanted to reprimand her. But it just died on his tongue instead. In fact, nobody in the group spoke up against her. Instead, they all went silent, and just watched. Donald picked his head up from where it hung, and Axel stilled at the glare the duck sent his way. Goofy looked up as well, but he didn't stare for too long before he turned to look mournfully at Sora. The keybearer was silent, but the look written across his face spoke enough volumes.

It was more than clear that Axel had no idea what to say, either. His eyes were wide, and he made no move at all to speak up for his defense. He wasn't able to. Yuffie had gone too far; she'd struck a nerve that nobody had dared to touch for quite some time. Not as directly. Because that was the thing: nobody _needed_ to. Axel _constantly_ blamed himself for this mess, _all the time,_ without any prompting from anyone else. Even when everyone acted as though they had left such grudges behind them, every so often Axel's eyes would flash when they landed on Sora, or his smile would come across as a little bit too hollow to be genuine.

He already blamed himself. Yuffie throwing it in his face so directly, so blatantly, was too much.

Kairi scowled at once, and she took a step forward to be even with him. "Yuffie, that's not fair," she said slowly, attempting to keep her voice in check and remain reasonable. Growing up, she'd learned that the first person to raise their voice in a fight was nearly always the person to lose. But it was growing increasingly difficult to keep her temper in check. Next to Aerith, though, she was the most level-headed one in the group. Aside from how Sora had used to be. If there was anyone who could struggle along, it was her. "You _know_ it's not fair. You know what Axel did to make up for it— _all_ he's done, not just the one thing." But even if it was just the one thing, it would be more than enough.

She could feel Riku looking from her to Yuffie; she could practically feel how tense he was, waiting to see whether things would escalate. It reminded her of a predator, crouching back and preparing to spring forward. She closed her eyes briefly, took in another breath, and put forward the best thing she could think of in the moment. "Yuffie, you don't mean any of what you're saying," she tried, conjuring up a smile for her. "You don't. I _know_ you don't. You're just upset right now, and—"

"I _am_ upset!" Yuffie screamed, and Kairi flinched at once. In turn, Riku rushed forward. He threw out an arm and nudged her backwards, as if distance could possibly help. It only served to make Yuffie angrier, though. She reached up and yanked her arm over her cheeks, in the rushed effort to wipe away her tears. "I'm upset that you've just been standing by while my world is torn apart! I'm upset you're standing aside and watching everything happen, prioritizing yourself and whatever is going on with you over everything else, just because this isn't your world and you don't care what happens to it! What if this was your island!? Would you be _skipping out_ like you have been!? I don't think you would be!"

"That's…that's not…" She grasped for words.

Riku glowered at her dangerously. "Enough. Yuffie," he snarled. "You're…on _very_ thin ice."

"I don't _care_!" she snapped, shaking her head so fast it made her sway all over again. "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! I don't care if what I've said has _hurt_ anyone's _feelings_ , because it's all true! Because we've _all_ been thinking it, nobody just has the guts to say it!"

Aerith frowned, and she pushed herself to her feet. She started towards Yuffie, saddened and on-edge. Her voice was soft as she tried to reason with her. "Yuffie, these are your friends," she soothed. "You can't mean what you're saying. Please just—"

"They're _not_ my friends," she snarled. Her stare was colder now, and Kairi's eyes rounded out with hurt. Axel just glared at her; unlike with Kairi, there had always been a little bit of a line between him and the others. Over time, the line had been kicked and slowly scuffed into nothing. At least he'd thought that was the case. Now it was clear by the looks that were being aimed his way, and the complete lack of support from anyone, that there wasn't as much truth as he'd wanted there to be. So he reacted with no hurt whatsoever. Just a frigid sense of disappointment that his fears were apparently answered.

Yuffie glared at the both of them, completely ignoring Riku, despite the fact that with every passing second he was flaring hotter and angrier. "Neither of them deserve to be here— _neither_ of them!" She took another threatening step to Axel; he refused to back away and right the distance. He just stayed stiff and still. His eyes smoldered with barely-contained fury. " _You're_ the reason Sora was taken in the first place!" she accused. "You're the one who took him, and you're the one that kept him there for _months_ without helping him!"

Sora reluctantly got to his feet. The shock and confusion was thawing from his face, and little by little he was gaining the indignation he should have had to begin with. His eyes began to narrow, and he tried to interrupt her. "Yuffie, you're not being fair at a—"

"And _you_!" Yuffie yelled, Sora's attempt failing completely when she didn't even glance in his direction. She just whirled back to Kairi. " _You've_ got just as much responsibility for it as he does! If _you_ hadn't been there, we might have been able to get Sora out before things got as bad as they did!" This was yet another step over the line. Wildly so, as this time Kairi couldn't even try and cover up the shock and hurt that stabbed through her at the accusation.

The memory was fuzzy from everything that had happened during it, but it was far from hard to revisit. It was more difficult _not_ to. Even now, this far down the line, she couldn't possibly forget the way Sora had looked at her, in agony and horror and most of all guilt as he screamed and begged for Xemnas not to hurt her. She remembered the confusion she'd felt when she had been restrained to the wall, and the heart-stopping terror she'd felt next when Sora was dragged inside the room, unconscious and unmoving. She remembered the guilt of waking up and realizing that they had saved her over him. She still walked with it every day, like it was a shadow. Having it hurled back in her face was even worse than if Yuffie had just gone ahead and slapped her.

"If you weren't there to slow us down, we could have saved Sora, and he could have gotten out sooner! He would have suffered less!" Yuffie screamed, yelling now over Riku and Leon, both of who had broken into their own shouts to try and get her to stop. Aerith's eyes went huge with each raised voice that clashed, and she scampered backwards with a stab of fear and regret. "If you weren't there, he could have been saved, you made it worse!"

"Yuffie, you've gone too far, _stop it_! It wasn't her fault, she didn't do anything!" Riku shouted.

At the same time, Leon was trying to yank Yuffie back by the shoulders. "Yuffie, you're making it worse!"

"Don't you think I regret it just as much as you do!?" Kairi asked, hating the fact that her voice was already choked. "Don't you think I wish you hadn't saved me instead of him— don't you think I would have wanted the other way around just as much as you did!? _You_ made that decision, not me!"

"It wasn't _my_ decision, it was _Riku's_!" Yuffie screeched, pointing to him now. "The three of you— _all_ of you, you're the reason that—"

"What I did was based on the good that we _could_ do," Riku hissed. It was clear he wasn't faring as well as Kairi was in regards to keeping himself in check. "You weren't thinking clearly then, and you aren't thinking clearly no—"

" _I_ was thinking of what was best for _Sora_ ," she spat. "Because I actually _care_ about him."

"Yuffie!" Leon snapped.

Oh. That did it. It shoved Riku straight over the edge. His face clouded over like the sky just before a storm broke out, and he seemed to grow even taller than he already was. He towered over Yuffie; he was usually very conscientious of the way he looked and how intimidating it came across, and so he usually made sure to compensate. But now he looked fit to kill. "You…have _no_ idea! What caring about Sora even _means_!" he snarled through gnashed teeth. "If you knew _half_ of what I—"

"I know _I_ didn't abandon him!" Yuffie yelled. "That's all you do, is abandon him! You didn't see him when I first met him— how he looked when he asked us if we'd seen you at all! If we knew if there was a way he could get _home_ , because that's all he wanted to do, was go back! And you didn't see how he looked when he found out you were against him! You didn't see all the times he came back to us tired and exhausted and _sad_ , and you know what, he put in all the effort to try and find you and bring you back, and it took you _ages_ to even bring yourself to help him out of the Organization! Even when you knew about it way before any of us! You haven't changed at all! All you do is abandon him when he needs you! When he _trusts_ you!"

Sora tried to get in between them. "Stop!" he tried. "Guys, none of this _matters_ anymore, why are you—?"

Sora wasn't nearly as tall as Riku, so he just stared over his head easily. "You're not telling me _anything_ I don't know," he spat. "I'll be regretting what I've done to him for the _rest_ of my life. But you have _no_ right at all to—"

"I have all the right in the world," she snarled, going so far as to take a step closer. "Because this is _my_ world. Mine. And so far you've done _nothing_ but mess it up since I've known your _name_!"

"You can't yell at him!" Axel leapt to his defense. "Out of _all_ of us, Riku's been trying the hardest to fix this Heartless problem! You can't—"

"Because he's the only one with a _keyblade_!" Yuffie groaned. "He's been picking up the slack, because Kairi either refused to go out entirely, or _always_ made us come back early! And thanks to you two, Sora's not able to do a _single_ thing to help!" This caused Sora to do a double-take. His eyes went wide and his face fell immediately. He turned and looked at her like he had never seen her before in his life. Still, she didn't even look at him. "Sora's probably the _one_ person that could have stopped all of this, and thanks to all of _you_ , he can't do _any_ of it! Thanks to you, he can't do _any_ of what he used to!"

"W-Wait a second…" Sora stammered, his voice small. "I've been trying to—"

" _Shut up_!" Riku yelled. He did the same thing he'd done with Kairi and he nudged Sora backwards with his arm. And once the space was cleared, he rushed forward, completing the picture Kairi had had before as he flew at her. Not to attack her, but to make it clear that this was wrong. He closed the distance between them and bent low so that they were practically nose-to-nose. Yuffie stumbled backwards, and Leon had to catch her to make sure she didn't fall. "You have _no right at all_ to speak about him like that!" he raged. "You have _no right_! Sora is _fine_!"

"As fine as he _can be_!" Yuffie argued. Her words were coming out more as sobs now than yells. "He's not even himself anymore, he's not!" Sora was too slapped with horror and shock to do anything more than stare open-mouthed. He felt fingers intertwine with his. Kairi held his hand tightly and pulled him back so that he was flush to her. The hurdle of sorrow was behind her now, and in the light of this new line of argument, she'd regained her outrage. "I wanted him back more than anything, but we didn't _get_ him back! He's not our Sora! He's not! And it's your fault! It's _all_ your guys' fault! And it's all your guys' fault that my world is falling apart _again_!"

"That's just as much your fault as it is ours!" Axel snapped.

At the same time, Kairi retorted: "Sora's perfectly okay!"

" _Don't_ talk about him like that!" Riku snarled. He was so close to her now he was practically on top of her, and hostility was coming off him in waves. "Don't you _ever_ talk about him like that!"

Leon quickly grabbed Yuffie and moved to put her behind him. He wedged himself in between him and Riku, and before he could get any closer or do anything else, Leon pushed him backwards to where he'd been before. It was only meant to separate everyone and get them to calm down. But in the moment it came across as more of a harsher shove. Riku's scowl only grew sharper, and Leon levelled it with a stern look of his own. " _Everyone_ needs to calm down," he growled. "We don't have time for this. Just _stop_. We're all—"

"You think I'm just going to stand here and let her talk about Sora that way!?" Riku demanded.

Axel looked fit to ignite an inferno in about five seconds. "After _all_ he's done for you?" he asked scathingly, a bitter laugh bridging his words. "And you think you guys are the ones that care more about him!?"

Sora pressed his free hand up against his forehead. "Why is this a contes—!?"

Donald leapt up to his feet, now. His loud squawk of anger was easily heard right over Sora. "Yuffie's right!" he snapped. "You've got no room to talk! We've known him for years, and you come along thinkin'—"

"Yeah, don't put yourself on any kind of pedestal!" Axel dismissed. "If he didn't have that keyblade you wouldn't give him a second glance, just like you didn't when—"

Sora looked at Axel, hurt. "Axel, that's not—"

"That was different!" Donald argued. "We had a job to do, but we came back for—"

"So you can't blame me when you did the _exact_ same—"

Riku, Leon, and Yuffie were in their own separate argument over the other one. The voices were clashing and layering together; with each passing second, and every escalation, it was getting harder and harder to discern who was who and what they were saying. "How can you defend any of what she's saying!?" Riku was fuming. "Sora's made worlds of progress, and she's _stomping_ all over it! Does she have _any_ idea what that even _means_!? And she's blaming Kairi for something she doesn't even have _control_ over, just because—"

"You're just angry because you know I'm right!" Yuffie was screaming. "You know that every problem we've had can be narrowed down to you three, and you have no room to—"

"If _you_ weren't there to take it, Sora could have used his last potion and he could have been just fine!" Donald yelled.

"' _Take it!'_ " Axel repeated incredulously. He separated from the others so that he could advance on him like Riku had done to Yuffie. "You think I _took_ his last potion!?" he demanded. "You're even _stupider_ than I thought you were— that was _his_ decision, he did it all by himself! If it had been up to me, he never would have wasted his potion like that! You have _no_ idea what it was like to wake up and see him on the ground and to put the pieces together like that! And you think I _asked_ for it!?"

Goofy had pried himself off of the door a while ago, and now he started over, eyeing Axel wearily as he put out a cautious hand. "Let's not call each other names, now…"

Without realizing it, the more the house swelled with arguing, the tighter Sora held to Kairi's hand. By this point it might as well have been a death grip. She wasn't about to let go, though. He started to edge forward closer to Axel, dismay clouding over the look of confusion he was currently wearing. "'Wasted?'" he asked. "Axel, I didn't waste that potion..."

" _Back away_ , Riku!" Leon stressed. "You're going to do something you'll regret!"

"Oh, like _what_!?" he spat. " _What_ would I do!?"

Cid glared at him, clearly unimpressed. "We dunno _what_ you're going to do," he growled. "You went missin' for who knows how long, you wind up on the wrong side of the fight, you nearly _kill_ Sora, practically _did_ , you go missin' _again_ , and when you come back, suddenly you look like a completely different person— a person that wasn't exactly on the correct side, like you claim you're suddenly not." He raised an eyebrow when Riku only grew angrier. "Now you're standin' here defending those two when everything Yuffie's said has got some truth to it! Just a while ago, you wanted nothin' to do with Axel! Now you're all buddy-buddy. So what _are_ you goin' to do, Riku?"

Kairi looked at Sora worriedly, practically feeling the distress that was crushing him as he yelled: "Cid, that's not _fair_! _None_ of this is fair, _why_ are doing this!?"

Yuffie rounded out from behind Leon; she had to practically get up on her toes to even come close to sizing up with Riku. "You were on the dark side before when things were too tough for you!" Again, she shoved a finger in his face. "Maybe that's why you're so unconcerned with what's going on! You can just take the coward's way out a _second_ time! What's one more time, what's one more chance to get stronger, that's all you really care about."

"Is that what you think I care about?" His voice was dangerously soft. Betrayal and red-hot anger were burning in his eyes like embers. His hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "After all this time…I thought that you knew me better than that," he hissed. "I thought you were actually my friend; apparently that couldn't be further from the truth."

"If you weren't such a _snake_ in the past, maybe I wouldn't have to doubt you," she growled.

Riku tensed as soon as the words passed her lips, his entire body locking up like he'd been electrocuted. Cid mistook the visceral reaction, and before Riku could make it clear that he wasn't about to do anything rash, the man took it in his own hands and shoved him back. This time it was unquestionably meant to aggravate, and aggravate it did. "You touch her, you gotta go through me!" Cid yelled. "I'm not about to let you hurt another one of my kids!"

"I wasn't _going_ to—"

"You're just a Nobody!" Donald was shouting. "You can't even feel anything! You shouldn't even _be_ here!"

"You ruined _everything_!" Yuffie was screeching, while Cid and Riku dissolved into a fight, going toe-to-toe with each other as personal space went out the window. Sora held tighter to Kairi's hand, and she edged to stand even closer as an added comfort. His head was pounding from all of the yelling, he felt like it was going to split open. His heart was going to burst out of his chest, and the confrontations – too fast to keep track of, too jumbled to keep separate – were grating on frayed nerves, and he could feel himself start to shake.

He kept his grip on Kairi; he didn't even think he'd be able to let go, at the moment. Thankfully she stayed close and followed him. He turned and weaved back towards Riku and the others. He reached up with his free hand, and he grabbed hold of Yuffie's wrist. In the middle of yelling something else, she cut herself short and turned to Sora with wide eyes. The others kept arguing around him, and it took a considerable amount of effort for Sora to take in a deep breath and conjure a smile on his face. He looked at her as encouragingly as he possibly could. "Let's stop, okay?" he asked. "We're just scared— we're just stressed. Everything's fine. Everything will turn out okay for you."

Yuffie pressed her lips together tightly, and the very moment that Sora started to reassure her, she clammed up. And the moment he was done, she jerked her arm away, leaving him to flail clumsily mid-reach. "How do _you_ know!?" she shouted. Sora paled all over again, and at the yell, he instinctively flinched backwards. Just like that, the room went dead silent; everyone whipped back and all attention went to them. Tears rolled down Yuffie's face, and she rushed on before she could stop and reorient herself. "You haven't been any help for ages, you have _no idea_ what's going on right now! If you did, maybe we could actually stand a chance!"

She might as well have punched him in the gut. His voice came out small, and hardly there. "I…I tried to…I _wanted_ to help you, I—"

"But you _can't_!" Yuffie retorted. "You can't do anything anymore to help! You're completely useless because of what _they_ did to you! _Why_ are you defending them!?"

Dead silence followed this statement. Sora's face was blank with shock; if Kairi was not holding onto him just as tightly, his hand would have slipped from hers. His mouth went dry. His face flushed, and his chest tightened like somebody was sitting on it. It was the final nail in the coffin, and everyone knew it. If there was tension in the air before, it was nothing compared to the pressure that was now there to wring everyone's throat. Riku was absolutely rigid; if looks could kill, Yuffie would be dead on the spot. Kairi glared poison at her, and she moved to hold Sora's hand with both of hers as she stepped forward and pulled him back to her. He didn't protest; he didn't do much of anything, really. He just stared at Yuffie, his mouth hanging open.

Yuffie glared at him for a moment more, still not realizing what she'd done. She just breathed heavily, scowling and reaching up so she could wipe at her eyes. But the realization came, however slowly, once the rage was given a heartbeat to ebb away. When it did, the regret washed itself forward, and her eyes widened. "Oh…" Sora wilted, and began to backtrack. She reached out, like it would do anything. "Wait— Sora, I— I'm sorry," she tried. "I didn't mean…I didn't mean that, Sora, I was just angry, I would never…"

Sora couldn't look at her any longer. He turned away so that he could stare at the ground instead.

Leon closed his head and ducked his head down. "Yuffie." The singular word rang hollow with disappointment.

Yuffie shook her head. "Sora, I don't think you're useless, I don't!" she reassured. Her tears were coming faster now; Sora was just trying to make sure that he didn't let any slip. "You're one of my best friends, I'm just angry _for_ you! I just wanted to try and see why you're constantly—" She started to reach out for his arm; Kairi pulled him back closer, and put distance between the two. Riku edged back to his friends; it was taking all that was in him now to remain silent and not fly out at her. Axel was the same, and Donald dropped from his mind completely as he turned instead to go back to the other three. Riku was standing close to Sora's side, so Axel took to flanking Kairi.

The four stood up against the others. Now that the fighting had halted, and now that the entire house was silent, the fact was left to stare everyone directly in the face that there was a line directly between them. A barrier that had been crafted by mere words, but was stronger than anything that could have been made with actual material. The knowledge was there, and everyone knew it, but nobody knew exactly what to say under the scope of it. A pin could be dropped, and the sound would shatter everyone's eardrums. Eventually Riku brought himself to speak. If it could be considered speaking, how clipped and tight the words came out to be. "We'll leave."

Yuffie stared at them, her eyes huge. She didn't say anything, but she crumbled in on herself and looked at Sora with enough remorse to fill two swimming pools. Leon shook his head and tried to object. "Nobody has to go anywhere, we just got a little heated, it isn't like—"

"No," Axel growled. "No, we'll go."

There was more than enough finality to it. It hung in the air and refused to budge.

"It's not safe…" Goofy attempted.

"We'll manage," Axel replied. The rejection was frosty.

He didn't try again.

It was as much a relent as any.

Axel moved first; he was practically burning from the inside out. He turned and he made for the door, brushing aside Yuffie like she wasn't even there. The girl staggered backwards a little bit, her face frozen in shock and regret. She looked like she wanted to say something. But she couldn't even think of what she could say in light of what had just happened. Riku followed Axel's lead, and Yuffie turned to look at Sora instead. All the anger was gone, now. All that was left now was what he knew had been the only thing this entire time. It was just sorrow, and fear, and palpable regret.

It was much easier to be angry than to face any of what was there.

Sora knew that better than anyone here, probably.

But the words rang in his ears and squeezed at his heart. He couldn't stay; he knew that. He also knew that they had been waiting for a chance to leave anyway. At least now, they wouldn't be followed. If they left…if they left, and they sorted it all out like Kairi had sworn they would…maybe things could be repaired, then. The ill wills that had spilled out unthinkingly in the heat of the moment wouldn't matter anymore. Nothing would matter anymore— they would fix it.

So he held her gaze for just a moment before he turned. Her face fell when he did, and she tried to reach for him and call out one last time. "Sora…I just—" It died, though. It wasn't a question that things had escalated enough. So, despite the fact that Sora felt everyone's eyes bore holes through him as he walked, nobody tried to argue further. Kairi kept hold of Sora's hand, and the pair followed closely behind the other two, making for the door. Leon closed his eyes tightly, disappointed and frustrated. Donald and Goofy especially watched Sora with more pain than could be put into any sort of pleas for him not to leave. Cid was turned away, and from where she still stood by the abandoned game of checkers, Aerith watched them go with a building sense of alarm.

Still, though, the house was dead silent.

The only sound came later, in the form of a door slamming shut.

(~**~) (~**~) (~**~) (~**~)

A/N: Chapter was getting too long and padded, so I cut it short. I tried to shave it down a bit, but things were too important to cut out, so alas. I have about half of the next one already written, because of that. That chapter will be much more involved; this was just an important stepping stone in setting it up. I will try and keep with updates as I start school here in about a day, and my profile goes a bit more into it. I love writing and I love getting feedback on how I am growing and shaping, so I do not want to lose that. At the same time, thank you for being patient with me, as my studies aren't nearly as easy as I would prefer them to be.

If you could vote in the poll I have up on my page as well, I would appreciate it. I get really stuck in terms of deciding what to do with my stories, and specifically this one in particular…any feedback at all would be appreciated. I hope you liked this chapter, I didn't get to the half of it that I was most excited for, unfortunately, so that will come next time! Please tell me what you think! And as always, thank you guys so much for reading. Any questions (because I certainly am trying to piece it all together as fast as I can lolol) feel free to ask them!


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